Carlos, I'm in Toronto.

Hang in - and sadly, keep in mind that for a bed to open up almost
always requires the death of a resident. The CCAC officials offer you
spots as they arise, so if you want a specific place and the
facilities are currently full to the rafters, you have to wait.

You could check her in for respite care to a private facility rather
than a not for profit one. It will be more expensive but might be a
short term solution. You could also use your mother's money to get
some help at home - hire someone to look after her, even if it means
hiring someone for nights.

Our first wait was about 3 months, which at the time was shockingly
fast - we actually turned down the first placement, but took the
second a few months later.  The hardest wait was when later when she'd
been in a specialized Alzheimer's ward at Chester Village and lost her
ability to walk (essentially getting to the point where she couldn't
do anything for herself). She needed to go to heavier care than the AD
ward offered, and that was a 5-6 month wait, because we wanted to keep
her in the same facility. We had to hire someone to assist with her
care within the facility until she got a bed in the heavy care ward
for non-ambulatory residents. If we hadn't hired someone to help keep
her in that facility for that wait period, they would have transferred
her elsewhere.

M.

The usual rule of thumb is you want your loved one in the closest good
facility, so you will visit often. Frequent visiting tells the staff this
patient is cared about and family members will be watching how their loved
one is treated. But in rare instances, it may not be the best placement.

My MIL had to take the first placement for my FIL (Rochester, NY). Out of
the two openings, the one chosen was supposed to be one of the best in the
city. Clean, lots of good activities, lower turnover in staff...all the
things you look for.

It turned out terrible for my FIL. He needed his medication on a very
precise schedule to control aggression that only surfaced when his meds
weren't balanced (otherwise, a complete gentleman who would be appalled by
his own aggression if he had been aware of it). That facility wasn't great
on keeping to the schedule and they refused to keep him after a couple of
incidents. Then he placed in the next open slot again, in a facility 20 odd
miles away (40 minute drive). But it was much better at doing meds on
schedule. The bucolic country setting (cow pasture in full view of windows)
was also a plus for him, keeping him amused and calm. The drive was a chore
for my MIL, who reduced her visits to twice a week because the drive was
difficult for her. But it was really the best place for my FIL.

Sometimes, what you think is a good thing isn't, and what you think is a
miserable choice turns out for everyone's benefit. You just never know.

Adelle