Searching for a senior apartment can be, in a word, intimidating.
As you weed through a pile of shiny community brochures (which can look more or less the same), you may feel overwhelmed about making the right decision for yourself or a loved one.
Thankfully, there are better ways to identify a senior living apartment than going through materials from marketers. Here are some quick tips for finding the perfect senior living community for you.
How to Find a Great Senior Living Community:
1. Read Reviews and Comments
The internet can be a tricky place when looking for helpful reviews.
It’s important to never take a star-rating at face value. Devote some time to reading the comments left by the reviewers on multiple review sites, as well as social media. Of course, don’t make your decision based on reviews alone.
However, if you live in an area with several retirement community options, reviews are a great way to whittle down your list.
Things to look for:
- Generally positive reviews
- Staff appreciation stories and anecdotes
- Resident success stories
- Positive employee feedback
2. Schedule a Visit
Once you’ve narrowed down your search, we encourage you to schedule a visit to get a feel for the community
It’s absolutely essential that you take the time to visit communities, and it is better if you can visit multiple times. This allows you to form a more personalized opinion based on what you see, how you feel, and the people you meet.
Things to look for:
- Welcoming atmosphere
- Lots of resident-to-resident interaction
- Warm staff-to-resident interaction
- Laughter and activity
- Cleanliness and attention-to-detail
3. Connect with Families, Residents, and Staff
While you are at the community, take the time to connect with other residents, visiting family members, and staff.
If you are looking for yourself, consider staying for lunch and dining with residents to get a true picture about the community. If you are a family member of someone looking to move-in, find or ask to be connected with someone who has a loved one that is a similar age or care level as your parent or loved one. If possible, connect offsite for lunch, coffee, or a call. That way, you can be sure there will not be any reservations about telling you the whole story.
4. Get the Facts
To be an educated consumer you should know all the facts. With senior living apartments, it’s important to access any applicable state or national regulatory findings for the community.
Ask about any community-wide awards or award-winning programs available on-site. Gather information from both the community and non-biased parties, like your Area Agency on Aging, to make an informed decision about your community of choice.
What to look for:
- State surveys, and specifically deficiencies
- National and local recognition and accreditations
- Community involvement
- Programmatic excellence and innovation
Download The Complete Guide to Senior Housing
Every senior has their own set of wants and needs, so retirement communities offer differing levels of care, services, and amenities. Read our eBook for a detailed look at what retirement communities provide.
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Avoiding a Not-So-Great Community
1. Look for Patterns
Yes, the internet is full of biased reviews.
If paid or written in the heat of the moment, they might not be an accurate representation of the community. On the other hand, they might. If you see a pattern emerging in the review or comments, don’t ignore them.
Instead, dig a little deeper. You need to consider how the reviews are. Do they have to do with a singular team members member, or the community as a whole? Educate yourself, and if you decide to visit, ask for clarification from the community about changes made to resolve the issues identified in the reviews.
2. Trust Your Instincts
Don’t let flashy sales pitches or shiny amenities distract you from your gut instincts about a community. Pay attention to the body language of the residents, the general feeling in the room, and the actions of team members not immediately interacting with you. You will know what feels right, and what doesn’t.
Asking the Right Questions
1. When in Doubt, Ask
In situations where lifestyle, safety, and care are at stake, there are no stupid or intrusive questions.
Don’t understand the pricing structure? Ask. Don’t like or understand a team members interaction with a resident? Ask. You have a right to full transparency. A good community will be patient and answer any questions you may have about the retirement community.
2. Daily Life
When considering the questions to ask, think about you or your loved one’s daily routine. Do you have any questions about meals or nutrition? What type of activities do you have? What about laundry?
3. The Unexpected
Not every day will be perfect. From illness to actual natural disasters, make sure you understand the processes and protocols for an unexpected situation in the community.
When choosing a senior living community, it’s important to access all your resources, research multiple communities, and become an educated consumer to make the right decision.
To learn more about Senior Lifestyle’s dedication to quality, service, and innovation in senior apartments, take a look at one of our outstanding communities near you today.