How to Choose an Assisted Living Community?

Suppose your loved one has decided they’re ready for a new lifestyle and want to move into an assisted living community, or maybe you’ve made that decision together. In that case, the task of finding the right one may seem insurmountable. You want your loved one to get more out of such accommodations than just four walls and occasional healthcare assistance.

Choosing the right assisted living community for your loved one boils down to pairing their care needs and preferences with a facility that matches them, using feedback from current residents and staff as a guide.

Before You Start Viewing Communities

Sit down with your loved one and write out a list of needs versus wants; this will help center your thoughts and give you a place to start. While assisted living communities do have regulations they need to comply with, many have different specialties and focuses, such as revolutionizing memory care expectations (The Peregrine Way™).

Consider living factors like:

• Level of care required for daily living, such as medication management, mobility, and grooming
• Medical support for any chronic health conditions like dementia, diabetes, or chronic pain
• Personal preferences for location (e.g., proximity to family, rural vs urban, etc.), cultural or religious affiliations, available amenities, diet, and more

It can be helpful to rank each factor on your list to make evaluating communities  easier. Is an extra twenty-minute drive to visit family worth being closer to an outdoor park? Does a bigger personal living space outweigh less favourable dining options? That’s up to you and your loved one.

Researching Facilities

With your loved one’s needs and preferences in mind, you can research potential assisted living communities.

• Online directories can provide comprehensive information about various assisted living facilities in your (desired) area (such as A Place for Mom, SeniorAdvisor, and Caring.com)
• Recommendations from friends, family members, or trusted healthcare professionals and social workers

Once you have a list of places, schedule tours! That way you can assess cleanliness levels, available safety measures, amenities, and atmosphere.

Viewing & Evaluating Assisted Living Communities

Evaluating Facilities

There’s lots to take in when touring an assisted living community, so it’s helpful to bring a list of the most important things you want to ask about.

If you’re feeling stuck, here are some worthwhile topics to explore:

• Healthcare support, such as access to nurses, physical therapy, mental health support, medication management, or coordination of medical appointments
• Personal care services, such as mobility support, grooming assistance, household chores, or transport
• Recreational activities, including community social events, pet therapy, spiritual services, support groups, or other activities designed to boost your loved one’s mental and physical wellbeing
• Dining options that will work with your loved one’s dietary restrictions or preferences

Talk to Residents, Families & Staff

How a facility looks on paper can often be different from how it is in real life. Visiting an assisted living community in person can be a great opportunity to speak to get honest feedback from real people on their experiences.

• Resident meetings (if it’s possible to attend) can allow you to interact with current residents to ask about their experiences and satisfaction with the facilities and staff
• Family members of current residents can tell you about their positive experiences, challenges and overall satisfaction level with that assisted living community
• Online reviews and testimonials from current and past residents and families can help you gather more diverse opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the facility 

Review Contracts & Fees

As with any important financial decision, reviewing the contracts and fee structures of potential assisted living communities is a vital step of the process. Your loved one’s health and safety are paramount, but you don’t have to break the bank to provide that.

Remember to ask questions about what types of insurance are accepted by each facility, their policies regarding payments and refunds, contract terms (like deposits, move-in requirements, termination clauses, etc.), or if there are any additional charges for extra services or amenities.

Conduct Background Checks

As a last step before picking the best community for you and your loved one, take the extra time to conduct a background check on each contender to double-check they’re compliant with national and state regulations and quality standards, such as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

Requesting copies of recent inspection reports can give you further insight into compliance with health and safety standards, as an in-person visit may not reveal this information. Inquiries about staff qualification can put to rest any concerns about the staff’s ability to provide quality care.

Choosing an Assisted Living Community

After doing all of this research, it’s time to revisit that needs versus wants list you created with your loved one. Combined with all the legwork you’ve put in, together you can consider factors like comfort, compatibility, location, accessibility, and emergency preparedness.

Transitioning to Assisted Living & Continual Evaluation

Residing in an assisted living community is a  journey of adjustment during which your loved one will need your support. With that said, it is important to remember that things don’t end once you’ve signed the dotted line. 

Just as we outgrow homes throughout our lives, it’s important to have ongoing considerations as to whether your loved one’s new assisted living community is continuing to meet their needs. Familiarizing yourself with the staff and other residents in your loved one’s new community can help bolster relationships and make communicating feedback for improvement easier.

At Peregrine Senior Living at Delmar Place, we strive to promote an atmosphere of positivity and warmth where the unique passions and interests of each of our residents are prioritized. Contact us today to schedule a tour and see if we’re right for your loved one.