Now here's good thinking — the head of a retirement community where I practice has started up a mutual assistance program for assisted living facilities and nursing homes. 170 Massachusetts facilities have signed on to help each other take in residents and share resources in the event of fire, prolonged energy outage, flood, etc., etc. This idea can keep a lot of frail elders out of emergency rooms and Red Cross shelters during crises.

So, when you are looking for a facility for yourself or a loved one, ask the admissions director whether it belongs to the Massachusetts Long-Term Care Mutual Assistance Association — and if they don't, whether the facility plans on doing so by the time your loved one moves in. If the answer to both questions is “no,” consider going elsewhere.