Tips for Choosing a Senior Community Right For You

It seems that the idea of senior communities as a whole have a bad reputation. However, many senior communities actually provide good for its residents. Nearly 60% of independent living residents who participated in customer satisfaction surveys fielded by National Research in 2012 visited two or more residential communities prior to selecting the one they decided to call home. About 44% of those surveyed cited reputation and recommendation as the reason they chose the senior living community, followed by location at 40%. Although it may take some research and on site visits, beneficial assisted living communities can be found.

Location
The location is generally one of the most important deciding factors in an assisted living facility. Most seniors want to move to something that is close to home or to family members. However, some seniors desire to retire to a warmer climate, somewhere in the south. Regardless if you choose to remain in your home town or to move to a warmer climate, you will want to research senior living locations.

Look at the vicinity of the senior communities that you are considering. Locate the senior assisted living facility on a map and identify local attractions. You will want to look for places like medical facilities, shopping districts, restaurants, grocers, and entertainment facilities. You will also want to look for any sources of public transportation, especially if you will not have access to a vehicle.

Onsite amenities
Perhaps even more important than the location of the senior communities, is the on site amenities. You will be spending the majority of your free time on site. Look for retirement centers that provide their residents with security, emergency care, and entertainment. You can usually get this information by visiting potential assisted living facilities. Request to join the daily activities and meal times. This will give you a better idea of what it is like to join in the onsite amenities.

Most seniors who are satisfied with their assisted living facility are pleased with the activities and services that are offered. According to information shared by Holleran Consulting LLC in a 2013 conference of 57,900 respondents from 265 senior living communities across 36 states, 89.3% of independent living residents rate their overall satisfaction as good or excellent. Approximately 84.5% of independent living residents would recommend their community to someone else.

Medical care
Seniors tend to be dealing with multiple medical conditions as they age. In fact, they often make the big decision of moving to an assisted living senior community following the diagnosis of a difficult to treat medical condition. If your reason for moving is a medical condition, ensure that you are aware of the medical care that is on site. If you require specialized assistance, it is important to inquire about on site medical care. Almost 4 in 10 assisted living residents received assistance with three or more activities of daily living, of which bathing and dressing were the most common.

Cost
Cost is something you might not want to think about. However, different assisted living facilities charge different prices. The overall costs tend to depend on the specific amenities and medical care offered. However in most cases, if the reason for the move is medical, insurance may cover at least a portion of the assisted living costs. Also, most seniors find that they are able to sell their house and apply the profits to their new living arrangement.

Despite a misrepresentation of assisted living homes, the majority of seniors in senior communities are satisfied with their living arrangements. Most would recommend their living arrangement to a friend. The key to finding a new living arrangement that you will be happy in is doing your research. Make multiple on site visits to gain a better idea of the staff, the daily activities, and the overall feel of the community. Always pay attention to additional things like cost, location, and medical services. Find a place that you will enjoy and that you feel safe and secure in.