Adult Care

Find quality caregivers and facilities for older or other dependent adults.

Looking for Adult Care

Washington University partners with Bright Horizons and Guidance Resources to provide a range of supports for families. 

To access support, pre-register here:

Bright Horizons
Username: WUBACKUP
Password: BACKUP

Guidance Resources
REGISTER
Web ID: WASHU

Find Center-Based Care

Bright Horizons – Years Ahead

Visit Bright Horizons to register for a free membership to Years Ahead to speak with a Senior Advisor, complete an online Care Assessment and search for residential care options.

  • From Bright Horizons, choose “Additional Family Supports” then “Find Elder Care Resources.”
Guidance Resources

Call Guidance Resources at 844-365-4587 for a personalized list of residential care options with confirmed openings.  Guidance Resources is also your “go-to” site for support with other adult care issues—legal concerns, taking care of yourself as a caregiver, and more.

Find In-Home Care

Bright Horizons SitterCity

Place job advertisements and access SitterCity’s database of providers.  Membership is free and employees have unlimited provider background checks.  To access, From Bright Horizons, choose “Additional Family Supports” then “Search for Sitters, Nannies and Housekeepers.”

Guidance Resources

Call Guidance Resources at 844-365-4587 for a list of local in-home care placement agencies. Guidance Resources is also your “go-to” site for support with other adult care issues—legal concerns, taking care of yourself as a caregiver, and more.

Emergency/Backup Family Care with Bright Horizons (WashU Partner)

Use backup care when you have an emergency situation, such as a sick caregiver, help after a medical procedure, shift change or your care center is closed.

After registering, go to Bright Horizons, then select “Family Solutions” and “Reserve Back-up Care”. You can also reserve care by calling 1-877-242-2737 or by downloading and using the Bright Horizons mobile app.

  • Reserve backup adult or elder care in your home or theirs, even if they live in another state.
  • Request same-day care, or care for future dates up to 60 days in advance.
  • Access to 20 days of backup care per calendar year.
  • Small copay with each reservation: in-home care is $7 per hour with a 4-hour minimum.
  • Book online or on-the-go reservations through the mobile app.
  • Out-of-network care is available through your own personal network and reimbursable up to $150. Immediate family members are not eligible for reimbursement.
  • Any taxable wages attributable to the utilization of backup care will be reported on your W-2 for the year. The fair market value for adult backup care services is $150 per day, minus any copays. Please consult your tax advisor for guidance.

Resources – Caring for Older or Other Dependent Adults

23 Questions to Ask Your Aging Parent

It’s never to early to start the conversation with your parents about how they view their later years, and what their preferences are looking ahead.

Online Resources

These resources not affiliated with Washington University.
They are not endorsed by the university and are listed for informational purposes.

Medicaid Planning Assistance

The Medicaid Planning Assistance website gets you started on the process of moving onto Medicaid.  It mentions that many people use an outside person to help with this process and talks about the different types of planners you can use.  Some friends of mine used the Beck Elder Care Law firm, but there are plenty of other options out there, including accessing legal support through Washington University’s EAP.   

Visit MedicaidPlanningAssistance.org

Medicare/Medicaid Facility Search Tool

This website tool allows you to search for residential care options that accept Medicare and/or Medicaid for all or part of their payment.  Since websites for many residential care facilities are not always transparent about the funding they allow, this is a tool that can help families save time when looking for care.   

Search at  MedicaidPlanningAssistance.org

Area Agencies on Aging

As a result of the 1973 amendments to the federal Older Americans Act (OAA), states were required Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to develop and implement programs and services for older persons at the local level.

Each AAA is required to provide the following categories of service:

  • Legal Services
  • Nutrition–both congregate and home-delivered
  • In-Home Services–which might include homemaker, chore, personal care or respite
  • Disease Prevention/Health Promotion
  • Access–which includes transportation, information and assistance, advocacy, outreach, and case management at some AAAs

Greater St. Louis AAAs

  • Louis Area Agency on Aging (St. Louis City Only) slaaa.org
  • Aging Ahead (Serves St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson Counties) agingahead.org
VOYCE

VOYCE’s mission is to educate and empower individuals and their families for quality living across the continuum of long-term care.  They help to ensure a quality life for people living on the long-term care continuum by:

  • Illuminating choices for long-term care
  • Providing a voice to residents
  • Giving compassionate and comforting support
  • Building relationships with caregivers and the community

Visit VOYCEstl.org

Locate and Compare Ratings for Long-Term and In-Home Care

Find and review licensing reports, and search for a range of care options based on type and location

Visit the Medicare Website

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Information on a wide range of topics related to elder and adult care in Missouri.  Also provides a self-search for providers on “Show Me Long Term Care in Missouri”  

Visit DHSS

Parents Helping Parents – Adult Children with Special Needs

Education, resources and support for families caring for an adult child with disabilities.

Visit Parents Helping Parents Website

Federal and State Nursing Home & Assisted Living Regulations

Each state classifies assisted living and nursing homes in a different way, and each state has different rules and regulations to follow to ensure senior health.  This guide has detailed information for all 50 states about topics like how each state defines assisted living, admission and retention policies, square feet requirements, and more.   This resource will help you evaluate and make informed decisions about care for an older adult.

Visit Website

Aging Gracefully

Managing care for the older adults in our lives can be daunting.  A new resource for families on this journey is Aging Gracefully.  This organization provides a range of assessment and supports to guide decision-making.

Book Recommendation

Shared Stories from Daughters of Alzheimer's: Writing a Path to Peace

Shared Stories from Daughters of Alzheimer’s: Writing a Path to Peace
by Kathleen Adams

Shared Stories from Daughters of Alzheimer’s is a support group in print for those escorting a loved one on the Alzheimer’s journey.

Nine women map the passage of a parent through Alzheimer’s disease, describing the evolution of their own emotional responses to the disease and the changes it effects in the patient and in her relationship with family members. The book invites the reader to take a first step in healing from Alzheimer’s ripple effect by beginning to journal about the experience.

Questions? 

Lisa Eberle-Mayse, MA

Child and Family Care Facilitator