Christine Herrick has been touring long-term care facilities in Bend for a while now, trying to find the best one where her husband, John Coltman can live when his dementia becomes too advanced.

“There’s not many options,” Herrick said. “It’s horrible.”

One place seemed dirty. Another didn’t make her feel comfortable. Another looked like a hotel lobby, but upon closer inspection, just didn’t meet her needs. And none of them are cheap. Herrick found a place for respite care that would take her husband for a week, but that was $3,000.

Now, she’s driving as far as Medford for a memory care center because she couldn’t find something close to home in Bend.

Finding affordable, quality long-term care can be a challenge, but it shouldn’t be. And digging for information about a facility beyond a Yelp review should be easy, but it isn’t.

The Oregon Department of Human Services website, a public portal for inspections, violations and conditions, which oversees the Adult Protective Services, has had trouble automatically uploading information on conditions and violations on its website since August.

Protecting the elderly

Often the burden is placed on the aging population and their family members to find accurate information about violations, inspections and conditions of a long-term care facility.

“It’s incredibly concerning to me that the Department of Human Services website isn’t working,” said state Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Human Services. “We wanted more transparency for people to make decisions about the safety of their loved ones.

“The department is supposed to be the consumer protection organization for the state.”

In Oregon, a 2021 law attempted to beef up staffing levels at longterm care facilities. The number of staff at a facility depends upon the level of need by the residents, according to the office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

More coverage

Deschutes County’s population growth strains health care

Current data are sparse to support the claim by residents that long term care facilities are struggling to hire and retain staff in an industry that is only going to have to expand to meet an aging population.

In Central Oregon, at least one in five people are 65 or older and statewide the 65 and older population is expected to grow to 20% by 2030. Nationwide, in 2020 the older population reached 55.8 million, or 16.8% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

There is a state agency, Adult Protective Services, that oversees long-term care and memory care facilities. There are an estimated 45,000 people in Oregon living in licensed long-term care facilities. In Deschutes County, there are 60 facilities. Crook County has seven and Jefferson has 11.

In 2021, the year data are most current, Adult Protective Services received nearly 50,000 calls reporting abuse or concerns that didn’t result in an investigation, but the agency did investigate 11,109 calls in community settings, according to the state. In Deschutes County, there were 377 abuse investigations in 2021. Crook and Jefferson County both had none. Lane County had 1,568 investigations.

The lion’s share of these investigations into alleged abuse were for financial exploitation, followed by verbal abuse, self-neglect and physical abuse.

When there’s a report of abuse, state investigators determine the seriousness of the incident, said Elisa Williams, Oregon Department of Human Services communications manager.

“A license condition is when there’s a serious incident and it goes on top of an investigation,” Williams said. “It puts requirements related to the license.”

Where to go to get information

Finding that information is often onerous for families who are looking at facilities for loved ones. Herrick, the Bend woman searching for memory care facilities for her husband, has hired someone to come and pick up her husband once a week and take him to the gym. But there are times when she needs a break.

She’s found foster care to be a good respite. Adult day care would also work, but she has been unable to find that kind of care in Bend.

“He had a good time in foster care that week,” Herrick said. “He did puzzles and was fine. I have mixed feelings about leaving my home in Bend. But I’m thinking we’ll have to leave Bend to find a situation that’s safe, comfortable and sustainable for my husband.”

To report elder abuse and neglect in Oregon call 800-503-7233 or go to the Department of Human Services website. Types of elder abuse include:

• Financial exploitation

• Neglect

• Verbal abuse

• Physical abuse and abandonment

• Sexual abuse

• Seclusion and restraint

Source: Oregon Department of Justice