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How to Choose a Senior Community
Choosing a retirement community is an important decision. It should
be an enjoyable one as you search for the ideal place to enjoy your retirement
years and start the second half of your life.
One of the best things a person can do to make their search
easier is to plan ahead. You should try to give yourself sufficient time
to consider the numerous options that are now available. You should also
take inventory of yourself (age, health, marriage, financial status,
religion, personal interests/hobbies).
While there are many different things to evaluate when you shop for
a retirement community, the selection process is going to differ due
to
your personal tastes, finances and health care needs. This guide will
assist you in your decision-making. For personal assistance, please call
toll-free 1-800-524-6126 or contact any of the Franciscan Communities
that you might be interested in learning more about.
Assess your needs
The first step in choosing a retirement community is determining what
you need. If you do not require assistance with daily living then you
probably are well suited for Independent Living. If you do require
some assistance in daily activities, then Assisted Living may be more
appropriate.
If
you or a family member require full-time health care, then Skilled Nursing
would be a route to investigate further.
As always, thinking ahead is extremely helpful. Thanks to continuum
of care retirement communities, which provide the full-spectrum of care
from independent living to skilled nursing, active seniors can move from
care levels, if or when their health needs change, without leaving the
comfort and security of familiar settings.
Consider the things you desire
Since you are choosing where you are going to live, you should also
consider a number of things that you want your new
residence and community to offer.
Reflect on the following questions:
- Do you want to move into a retirement community that is financially
stable?
- Do you prefer a retirement community with a solid history of quality
outcomes?
- Does it make a difference if the organization
that owns the retirement community is for-profit or not-for-profit?
- Are you looking for a faith-based retirement community?
- An organization
that is affiliated with others?
- Do you want to live in a retirement
community that is part of an organization considered among the industry
leaders in utilizing the latest technology
to encourage residents to live their lives to the fullest?
- Does it
matter whether or not the associates/caregivers at the community
are educated, talented, compassionate, respectful and happy
to come to work and serve you on a daily basis?
- How important are
activities?
- Would your lifestyle benefit from
a community that provided a variety of educational, cultural, social
and recreational programs?
- Do you
desire spacious accommodations?
- What kind of amenities
are you seeking?
- Do you want to live in a major city, near the city
or far away from the city in a more peaceful, rural setting?
- What
are the rules regarding guests/visitors?
- Are pets allowed?
- How important is peace of mind and security
to you?
- Does the community you are seeking need to be Medicare or
Medicaid certified?
Review your finances
Retirement communities come in all shapes and sizes. As such, the entrance
fees, monthly fees and services included in those fees, are going to
vary.
Research communities
You can read about communities, but you really need to see the community
in person and spend some time there to truly get to know the lifestyle
being offered. Schedule some time to visit communities that meet your
personal, financial and health care needs. Bring a pad of paper along
with a printout of the following questions and take notes and experience
the community with all your senses. Click here for a printer-friendly
copy of these questions.
- What does the community look like?
- The community rooms?
- The homes?
- Apartments?
- Skilled care areas?
- What does the community offer?
- Do the employees look helpful?
- Does the community appear active with lots of different programs/activities
taking place simultaneously?
- Try to arrange to have lunch there.
- How is the dining room?
- The dining staff service?
- Was the meal good?
- Did you have a variety of items to choose from?
- Is the community clean?
- Does it have a pleasant smell?
- Does it look new or does it appear
old and rundown?
- Talk to current residents.
- How long have some of them lived there?
- What do they like?
- What do they dislike?
- What would they change if they could change
one thing?
- Do they
like their caregivers?
- Do they consider care staff friendly
and helpful?
- Do they consider
their quality of life to be good?
- Do they direct their lifestyle
to be as independent as they want to be?
Determine your options
After you've visited multiple communities and taken some time to
review your notes and follow up with any additional questions, now is
the time to determine your remaining options. Which communities did you
like most? What did you like most about them? What did you dislike about
them? Compare your responses and explore as many options as you can before
making this important decision. If you're still not pleased, research
further and find communities you haven't toured yet or call 1-800-524-6126
for additional assistance.
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