Looking at brand new for-profit AL for LO. Company running it is quite new. Should I be concerned?

One thing I would seriously weigh is if his current AL has a continuum of care, i.e. does it also have LTC, MC and hospice in one campus? Anyplace he moves to should have this, especially at his age. It should also accept Medicaid. Don't go anywhere that doesn't accept Medicaid unless your LO is very well off. I can't really speak to the for-profit aspect of your question, my MIL has been in 2 non-profit, faith-base facilities and we were very happy with both.

Helpperson, just a quick response as I have to leave shortly, but I wanted to make you aware of one way to potentially check out this new company.    Check your state's website to determing  the department which manages corporate records.   It would be the source of filing of assumed name dox, LLCs, corporations and/or any other commercial entity must file (a) articles of incorporation (b) designate registered agent (c) names of officers, etc.

It can be a treasure house for corporate information, but also depends on the state.  I used to be able to get a lot of info from the state of Michigan, but the Internet has introduced an opportunity to charge for all this information, so it costs to get data.

You can then check out the offices of the company individually, but w/I limits.  With the extensive data collection online, you might find out what these people did before opening this facility.   If you can't get any information on anyone, try to back trace by using Google to see if you can locate the addresses they use.

I did this when I needed contractors, and found that one who claimed to be a reliable contractor had an "office" in a large vacant lot!  Another had a real dump, surrounded by grass growing at least knee high, junk in the yard, ratty looking office.   Obviously, neither of those passed the initial selection process. 

The goal is to get as much background information as you can on the principals, so you can get an idea what they've done before, whether they're legit (or working out of their garage), etc. 

I haven't done this in awhile but you can also check with the state department which requires filing of UCC-1s, a security document for the equipment, etc. which typically is collateral for a loan.    You might at least be able to get an idea how extensively indebted the company is, and with which lender.  If it's the corner Joe Blow (no offense to Joe's), and not a major bank or recognized lender, time to start becoming nervous.

You also can ask the principals what their experiences and backgrounds are.  For an unknown entity, I think they should be willing to provide that information.

I honestly don't know what general amounts are for non-refundable community fees.  There was a post with a similar question in the last several months, if I remember correctly, and will search for it later.

You could contact similar organizations in your area to get an idea what they fees are.  $5k seems inordinately high to me.   And if the staff, support and service are bad, it's a method of scalping the residents and/or their families.

Turnover of staff and residents is another issue to explore.

The goal is to get as much information on the incorporators, their track record, if any, possible.

Hope this helps.

Another thought-- presumably the staff would have made arrangements for DON, other admins, and medical people in the event of an emergency.   Try to find out if this has been done, and who the medical people are.   If they're staffers, or even if they're on call, you can check out their reputations and get an idea who they are.

I confess though that I'm not that familiar with this level of care and don't know as well as others here what level of medical support might be available, but it's a good topic for inquiry.

I guess one of the issues that would bother me is the experience brought to this new facility, which apparently has no reputation...yet.

Is this company brand new, or new only to your area? It is the for profit/lower cost that worries me if this is in the same area. The four levels of care is what my bro had; and the well laid out costs per level as well, which is as it should be. Most Assisted Living is for profit in all truth. It is not regulated in ways nursing homes are; most are "When your money is gone, you are as well".
The worry I have with lower cost/new company, AND for profit is where will they cut so as to make this profitable? Sometimes in whom they hire. Or in how many they hire; because their highest cost is in their employees. It was the people hired, both the numbers and their excellence that made my Bro's ALF so good for him. The people were dedicated; a real vocation for them.
You mentioned also that this is more like an apartment building. Where my brother lived there were two main facilities, one like what you describe, the other cottages, on one level, rooms arranged around a communal dining area on one end, living room with TV on the other, and with beautiful grounds where many of the residents spent most of their time just outside the doors, just outside their windows. He spoke with a lot of people in each facility before making his choice. While the facility that was more like an apartment building type had great food and cafeteria, really kind of world class and one man said he and his partner felt like they were on a cruise every day, the checking on them was much less, there was less communal activity, and they said they wouldn't want to be there alone.
As to new management? My brother's ALF had been taken over by a new group. They were absolutely great. But there were few ways to predict that would be the case. In any place it is so much about management.
Wishing you good luck, remembering there is nothing perfect.
I do believe, in so far as you are able, be certain that the elder, after all the one moving, is on board for this move. You do have to manage finances for life care, I understand.

Check out what precautions the new place will be using for prevention of Covid-19 with staff and distance etc. Check if they have other facilities already up and running in other locations and if so check Medicare and Medicaid complaints etc. is a good indication on what to expect at any facility you check out.

I have been struggling with this question myself..With Covid restrictions I would not change facilities unless I suspected abuse. 27 years of experience as a clinical staff member of LTC facilities tells me you need to see a track record or know someone who lives there before you blindly trust a new facility. I would not do a move during covid lockdown.

Check out some of their other facilities with their local BBB and any accrediting organization for their current "grades." If those other facilities are well-managed, you cold expect similar results with this new one.

The old adage if it sounds to good to be true....
How fast will they increase the rates across the board? You may end up spending just what you are spending now if not more as his level of care increases.
You do not mention what problems this person has other than he is in a wheelchair. If there is dementia involved finding his way around a high rise might be difficult, and may be anyway for someone used to living where everything is contained on one floor. Would he have help to be escorted to the dining room? to the theater? other activities? Or would he be left to navigate on his own?
You can check the Medicare website and search other communities that this company runs, owns or is otherwise involved in. The BBB might also be a good resource as well. The State Ombudsman or State Health Department might also offer insight. While they may not be able to tell you if a place is good or not they might be able to tell you if there are any past complaints and if the company resolves issues

Helperson, I moved my dad into a new facility, he was the 2nd resident. It was great, at first. They spoiled him. Then they started filling up and did not know how to expand their staff to meet the new needs of their residents, so the less needy received less care than they were paying for. My dad went from being spoiled to being ignored (aka neglected), it was a nightmare for everyone involved. The place was eventually shut down because of many issues that the owners had. They believed that they knew it all and refused to listen to anyone trying to help them. It was a small place, which it sounds like you are looking at a larger facility and you will have different bumps to get over. Know going in that there will be bumps, any new business, even just a new location for an old business will have issues getting things figured out. Can your uncle deal with issues and communicate with the powers that be reasonably when something comes up? If he tends to go straight to anger he will not be happy with his care and they will label him as a problem child.

So ask lots of questions, preferably in writing and make them respond in writing.

If your uncle doesn't sound very interested, please listen to that. He will find a reason to be unhappy with the place if he isn't excited about moving into it to begin with.

I can't help but feel like he is just complaining about his current situation and having you do these exercises as something to entertain him. He needs to participate in the move, he is able to make calls and get information, make him do this to see if he is really interested in moving. Otherwise you are just wasting your time and he will find a reason to say no to all of your choices.

He is blessed to have you, you just be sure that you take care of you during this difficult time.

i think I learned a big lesson when my mom was placed in in-patient rehab after a hospital stay. The facility was beautiful- marble floors, crystal chandeliers, private rooms, movie theater, even a pub. It was a for-profit facility. When COVID hit, they began moving residents around so they could isolate COVID-positive patients. Then the moved in COVID-positive patients from one of their other facilities. My mom caught the virus and died. I will never again judge a facility by its looks. For-profit means just that. It is all about the profit.

Please stop using using a few letters instead of the actual word spelled out.
It is difficult to follow what a person is trying to say. Examples. LTC, LO ALF, MC.

I'm confused:  You wrote:

" One is that this is a new company without a track record I can check. "

And later wrote "this company has been operating assisted living facilities in other parts of our state for a little over a year. They are new to my area though."

So the company isn't new to the state, but just to your area.    So it would have a track record in the state.   

You do have more options to check it out.

Imho, a few considerations - how fast would they increase fees across the board? and would your LO be able to tolerate the move if you go ahead? Prayers sent.

Having a lovely place with many amenities and a closer location as well as reduced cost are certainly considerations, but as you noted, I would be more inclined to be concerned about how a move might affect your LO. Also, would he even have any interest or ability to participate in most of these amenities?

I may have missed it as I originally read through a few days ago. Does your LO have dementia, early or not? What are his concerns about the change in level of care? Do you know or can you discuss with the facility as to why the changes were warranted and what it involves? He may actually need the increased care level. It is likely that his place, like most others, are off limits to us, so it is hard to determine if the changes are necessary or not.

If he does have some level of dementia, I would hesitate in making a move. Moves are generally very disrupting to those with dementia and can lead to confusion and sometimes a set back in the level of memory loss.

If discussion with the facility about the changes instituted seem reasonable AND he has dementia, try to assuage him by passing it off as something they have to do for everyone, blame his doctor, blame the virus, whatever works. If they don't seem reasonable and/or he doesn't have dementia, see what you can do to help the facility and your LO find a good compromise. If the changes are actually necessary, how would that impact the cost of this new place? If the increase care his current facility has instituted isn't covered in the base cost or the new facility, it could end up being the same if they determine he needs this level of care. That 5k would include assessment as to what his needs are - rather expensive way to find out, so asking the facility he is in now might be better and won't cost anything.

When signing my mother up for a facility, I was a bit taken back by the fee (used for assessment mainly - not that we needed any! I knew what her issues were and what care she needed.) What gets me more is the huge amount that the continuing care communities charge, just to get in the door! Mom used to check out places, generally going for the tour and free meal. Most of the places in her area had this charge. One of the ones in my area did as well, so I crossed them off the list immediately!

Re-reading your original post, I do see that the highest care level cost in the newer place would be less and you mention a MC wing, which would also be less expensive than his current facility. So cost wise, at least for a while, it would be a plus in the weighing of making a change.

I would still have a discussion with his current facility about why they feel his care needs have changed. It is possible he needs the care, but it also may be overkill.

I do know that where my mother is this increase in care will be an expensive bear! Included in the cost of MC is 1 hr of personal care. If she were to need more time, they charge in increments of 1 hr, whether she needs 10 min or 60! I would much prefer that they charge in increments, because most likely those increases are NOT going to be a 60 min jump! I would be satisfied with increments of 15 min, adding more as needed.

So, the issues really come down to how would HE react to a move? How would he feel about having to navigate to get to where he needs to be? If he doesn't have dementia, this should be HIS decision. You can provide as much information as you can to him, even if it has to be mailed, so that he can be informed and have input.

Since it is new, would it be possible to have a tour before they allow residents to move in? Clearly after people move in, it would be restricted. Mom's place was originally very old buildings and they made the decision to tear it down and rebuild rather than refurbish. The deposit was refundable, so I paid that ASAP (the other places were not really what I would prefer, location and cost for one, most of the setup for the other.) They had an open house that we attended (mainly we got to see the main AL dining area and some of the IL and AL rooms.) They opened in stages, first IL, then AL. MC was delayed a bit as they wanted a min number of residents first. Due to issues beyond their control, and even with a few days medical delay for mom's move, she was the only resident for about a week. One aide would stay with her and include her in AL activities. So we had to make most of the decision without seeing it first hand, and certainly before any reviews could be done!

Also, does he have a lot of friends in his current facility? Favorite staff members? Is he gregarious and could make new friends in a new place or would he be lost?

Would he have any interest in the amenities they offer? I'd place less weight on this - a plus if he's interested, otherwise it would be a lateral move, as if these didn't exist.

Moving is already on the list of high stress inducing activities, but at his age it might be even more demanding. Getting his input would help you make the decision.

https://www.lifestorage.com/blog/moving/moving-stress-and-anxiety/

From the link above:
"Moving a Senior
For seniors, the moving process can be very different than it is at other stages of our lives. Many seniors are moving into assisted living facilities or nursing homes, which are probably going to be much different than their current housing. When helping a senior move, it’s important to understand what their needs are and how their new space will compare to their old one."