Many seniors and people with special needs prefer assisted living communities over homeownership because of the lifestyle it offers. Free of the labors required of homeowners, seniors can live a much more carefree mode of life. People with special needs utilize this time efficiently as well, taking the extra time for self-care. Here are some tips for choosing an assisted living community for your loved one that’ll offer you some peace of mind when making your decision.
What are your needs?
When deciding on assisted living communities for loved ones, you’ll want to determine the specific care needs as well as the personal interest of your loved one. Senior communities and assisted living communities differ in services provided, so you’ll need to determine what kind of support is necessary for you. If you are adjusting to assisted living from independent living, you’ll want to consider your current needs, future potential needs as well as your interests. The more congruencies that you can create between your independent life and your life in assisted living, then the more comfortable your adjustment process will be. For example, if you are an active person independently, then you’ll most likely want to choose a community that has friendly members and daily activities. Likewise, if you’re choosing assisted living after the loss of a life partner and you’re used to sharing the activities of daily living with someone, then you’ll likely prefer a facility with more support amenities.
The people make the place.
Consider three people: the employee, the neighbor, and yourself. When you visit a place, try to get a feel for the relationship between community members and management. Any palpable tension is an immediate red flag. Also, pay attention to how those community managers and members treat you. They’re the people you’ll be spending a lot of time with and living near during a time when you especially intend to be peaceful, so you’ll want to get along with them. Try and observe the community makeup and get a feel for the general collective interests. Are things like ethnic and cultural diversity important to you? Do you care to live amongst people in your age range and activity level? Make a shortlist of communities with good people and consult these results with extra care because people make the place. If you live in Philadelphia or western New Jersey, an assisted living community in Woodstown, NJ, promotes the independence of seniors while providing compassionate care, respecting each resident’s independence.
Cost
People tend to look at costs in a straightforward manner: either we can afford it or we can’t. That’s usually the end of the discussion, and that’s okay—until it isn’t. There are other costs to consider, like safety, accessibility, and quality of life concerns. If you find yourself heavily contemplating the price of several facilities, think of all tradeoffs. Settling on a place with people and activities that you can only tolerate instead of love may impact your quality of life. Cost greatly influences the decision-making process, but focus on being solution-oriented and research various funding alternatives with the federal government or your state. That way, you can make and informed choice and live your best life.
Safety
Safety is probably of prime concern to you, and that’s understandable. Abuse of the elderly and persons with special needs is a horrible injustice, but it happens. Securely check the social history of a community manager with a 100% free background check. Be sure that you and your family are comfortable with the level of accessibility that you have within your chosen facility. Also, if you are currently looking for accommodations, you’ll want to get a good understanding of the community’s handle on COVID-19. That is, if they are even accepting new entrants amidst the different lockdown regulations.
