Making the decision to change over to assisted living isn’t an easy one, but once you have come to that conclusion, then the decision-making process truly begins.
Choosing the right senior assisted living facility is not going to be a walk in the park, but it is crucial that do your research so that you know exactly what you are getting before you make that all-important choice.
The last thing you want is for your loved one to feel like they are trapped in a place that they do want to be.
With this in mind, we will be looking at what exactly you need to be looking for when picking the most suitable senior assisted living facility. Let’s get started.
What Is Senior Assisted Living?
Before we talk about what to look for, let’s recap on what exactly an assisted living facility is.
These facilities are long-term residential care homes for seniors that require some form of help for basic needs and daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, transport, laundry, or medication management to name just a few.
These facilities offer around-the-clock non-medical care as well as room and board, general housekeeping, wellness activities, and more.
What To Look For When Choosing A Senior Assisted Living Facility?
There are many elements to consider when the time comes to make the decision on an assisted living facility, so let’s take a look at each factor one by one.F
The Exact Services And Activities That Are Provided
This is a particularly important factor, as many senior assisted living facilities will have different activities depending on where you look.
There are the essentials that every facility will provide- such as help with dressing and bathing, laundry services, and meals- but some places have different kinds of activities in terms of leisure.
These can range from computer lounges, music rooms, art activities, or even pet therapy!
If you know that the person who will be entering the facility will benefit more- in terms of quality of life- with more variation in their daily activities, then look for a facility that offers more recreational activities.
Some facilities will also have community outings, which is an excellent choice for seniors who enjoy the great outdoors.
Do your research and make sure that you look at exactly what kinds of recreational activities are offered in each facility that you look at.
Once you have looked through all of them, you should be able to pinpoint which place would be the most suitable.
The Location
This is another important element to look into when conducting your research, as it can change how the facility runs as a whole. Some facilities will be different from others due to the laws that are enforced in that particular state.
For example, some states are much more limited than others in terms of what medical care is readily available.
Depending on the needs of the individual requiring assisted living, there may only be certain areas and states where they can be given the appropriate care.
If you plan on visiting the person in question frequently, you might also want to think about how long it will take you to get there, whether you are able to get there easily with public transportation if you don’t drive, and how much travel will cost, etc.
The General Culture
Seeing as the person in question will be living in this facility, it is important to get a feel for the general culture of the place before a decision is made.
This can only be achieved by visiting each residence that you are considering. By doing so, you can get an insight into different aspects of the culture of the facility.
Such as the way that the staff operates, the other residents, the environment as a whole, and how the residents and staff tend to interact.
Quick and efficient online searches and scrolling through pages of reviews are definitely a tempting choice with the hectic demands of day-to-day life, but the only way that you are going to truly see the facility for what it is is to visit it firsthand.
The Size
Assisted living facilities can vary greatly in terms of size, with some being significant establishments that feature hundreds of beds and residents, whilst others are much more intimate, housing only a handful of residents.
The sizing largely affects the services that are offered by the facility. Larger and more extensive facilities are likely to have a much wider range of amenities to offer their residents.
That being said, the cost is likely much higher. Smaller places might not have all the luxuries of a bigger establishment, but the cost is likely smaller.
The Cost
As much as we want to provide our loved ones with everything they could ever possibly need and spare no expense doing so, unfortunately, most of us have to budget accordingly for pretty much every aspect of our lives, and this situation is no exception.
Thorough research is essential here, so make sure that you make a note of any and all prices for each facility and cross-reference them with information on the size of the building as well as what services they offer.
This way, you should be able to start narrowing down your choices.
Some ways to combat the issue of cost is to start prematurely saving for care or to invest in some long term care insurance to secure the futures of both yourself and your loved ones.,
Final Thoughts
So, there you have certain elements that you need to be looking at before you go about making a decision on a senior assisted living facility.
Remember to do your research as thoroughly as you can and visit each facility that captures your interest before making a decision, and you should be well on your way to choosing the most suitable facility.
