How Senior Placement Advisors Get Paid — and What Families Should Ask

Why families often do not receive a bill

Many senior placement services are paid by participating care providers after a person successfully moves in. That referral model allows an advisor to help a family understand options, narrow the search, and coordinate tours without charging the family a placement fee.

Lighthouse uses this model. Our senior care placement guidance is provided at no cost to families; when a placement is made with a participating provider, that provider pays Lighthouse a referral fee.

Questions every family can ask

• How are you compensated if my loved one moves into a community you recommend?
• Do you only recommend providers that have a referral agreement with you?
• How do you decide which options to show a family?
• What information do you know about the provider's ability to meet my loved one's needs?
• Will you tell me if an option is outside your referral network but may still be worth considering?

Use an advisor as a guide, not a substitute for your judgment

A good advisor can make a complicated search more focused and help families ask better questions. The final decision still belongs to the resident and family. Tour the setting, review current pricing and agreements, verify licensing information when appropriate, and make sure the provider has completed its own care assessment before move-in.

Transparency matters because this is a deeply personal decision. Families should understand both the recommendation and the business relationship behind it.