During the admissions process, a good clinician will note if your parent self-medicates, says Sandi Flores, also a member of the ALFA Quality Team. In her years as a clinical supervisor, she has overseen thousands of resident admissions into assisted living communities and she says that having parents with substance abuse issues is common, especially as “alcohol is a socially acceptable effective coping mechanism” She adds that adult children shouldn’t be ashamed of their parent’s behavior.
While you may be disclosing a family secret that you may have been or are still feeling ashamed of, it is important that you know the admissions clinician can be trusted with this family history, as most facilities are bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) to safeguard the privacy of residents. If you don’t feel comfortable disclosing your parent’s substance abuse issue with the staff at the community, then search elsewhere. And if your parent’s substance abuse doesn’t come up during the admissions process, do not count this as fortunate but rather as a red flag to search for another community.