It can be incredibly difficult to accept that your loved one needs to move into a senior living community. However, you shouldn’t necessarily view this as a wholly negative thing. While it can be challenging for your loved one to make that transition at first, this is becoming an increasingly common occurrence and is ultimately meant to ensure a higher quality of life for all involved. About 70% of all people currently turning 65 will require assisted living at some point or another, and assisted living is an inherently bad thing. The issue is really in determining whether the assisted living facilities you’re considering are right for your loved one.
With that being said, let’s look into some of the things that you seek in a senior living community. You may be surprised by what you find.
1. What’s The Level of Care?
When touring a senior living community, you need to ask pointed questions about the level of care they can provide. Are there doctors and other medical professionals on staff? If not, is the community close to a medical center? Additionally, you need to know how much care will be provided for your loved one. Will they get assistance with bathing themselves and dressing? How often will they receive checkups from employees at the center? The more you know, the easier your decision will be.
2. What’s The Quality of Life Like?
Not only do you need to discuss the quality of life at a senior living community with the staff and employees there — you need to see what it’s like for residents. See how they spend their days. Are there activities for them to participate in, and social opportunities? Just because you’re living at an assisted living facility doesn’t mean that you should be bored all day.
3. What’s The Move-Out Policy?
You never know when you may need to have your loved one leave the facility. You need to understand what the move-out policies are. Some facilities are stricter than others. You may be required to give a firm notice, or you may be able to have them leave on short notice by paying a fee.
There are a lot of issues to consider when choosing a senior living community. Take your decision seriously!