At Bridgeway Park Canton, we recognize that later in life, everyone may need professional help with care and support. With multiple senior living options available, it can be overwhelming for families to choose the best option. However, the key to finding a reliable professional setting worth calling home is relatively straightforward. By following specific steps and considering certain factors, you can find a worthwhile local senior living community for a loved one. Here’s a simple guide to help you find and choose the best senior living community for your loved one.
Assess Needs, Preferences, And Finances
Seniors’ healthcare needs and care preferences can evolve much more quickly than you can imagine. At present, they might want to live in an independent living community, but as their needs change, they may need more assistance, which may eventually require a move to assisted living. Do the following to determine exactly how much care your loved one will need now and in the future.
Identify Care Level
Start by assessing your loved one’s current mobility, health conditions, and need for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, and medication management. A healthcare provider can help you assess this.
Establish Preferences
This is a very personalized assessment step. Here, you need to identify and note your loved one’s various lifestyle preferences. You have to evaluate and see what makes them comfortable. Ask about their preferences for the kind of location they want to live in. See what kind of activities inspire them the most and decide on the amenities that you would like to feature in your loved one’s new home.
Understand The Costs
Different senior living communities cost differently. There are many factors to consider, such as location, level of care, and more. The cost of senior living usually includes monthly fees and an upfront entrance fee. Decide for yourself how you will pay for your loved one’s care costs, and ask the community which financial support sources they accept.
Research And Narrow Your Options
While everyone generally opts for online sources to search for valuable choices of senior living communities, you don’t necessarily have to do the same—you can also explore local options by asking for recommendations from friends, family, and acquaintances.
Check Online Resources
To seek online options, you can use senior living directories that offer a wide range of easily accessible listings. Browsing them, you can access multiple senior living options all at once to see which one’s a good fit for you.
Read Reviews And Check Licenses
Review a community’s ratings and reviews before considering it valid. Also, verify the community’s licenses and accreditation with appropriate state and local agencies.
Be Wary Of Marketing
Remember, for your first contact with a community, you will meet a community sales representative. They’ll be promotional—so it’s on you to do your own research and verify the facts before moving forward.
Tour The Communities
Scheduling tours to potential communities and seeing things firsthand can reveal much more than what brochures and websites show, as those tend to focus more on promotion than reality. As you tour, notice how the following elements feel:
Observe Staff Interactions
See for yourself how the staff interacts with each other and residents. Prefer communities where they appear friendly, respectful, and attentive.
Talk To Residents And Families
Go and ask the current residents and their families about how they feel about the community. Know their perspective on the amenities, facilities, and management.
Evaluate Cleanliness And Maintenance
Look for options with well-maintained common areas, dining rooms, and other shared spaces.
Inspect Living Areas And Common Spaces
You need to choose a community that looks clean and safe. It must be accessible and well-lit, with clear exits and features like handrails, safety bars, and safety alarms.
Assess Safety And Security
Inquire about the safety and security measures being practiced in the community. See whether they follow visitor sign-in procedures, have necessary emergency response systems, and have secure areas for residents who could wander at night.
Experience The Dining
Take your loved one to the community for a tour and let them have a meal there to assess the quality, variety, and nutritional value of the food. Observe how the dining areas feel and how the staff assist residents.
Review The Activities Calendar
Know about the social activities, too. Ask the community’s followers about their schedules for residents’ engagement and well-being.
Make The Final Decision
Now that you’ve toured different communities, it’s time to make a final, rational decision that feels right to you and your community.
Compare Communities
Compare your findings from the different communities you’ve toured so far and choose the one that feels best. Ensure that you evaluate the pros and cons of each option.
Review The Contract Carefully
Comprehend all contract obligations and terms, including fees and other necessary details that could help you make an informed decision about which community to choose.
Trust Your Instincts
Besides the noted pros and cons, recall how each community felt during the tour to make the right choice for a senior living community. The choice made should feel comfortable, welcoming, and aligned with your loved one’s needs.
Bridgeway Park Canton — A Homelike Senior Living Community
At Bridgeway Park Canton, we understand that finding a fitting senior living community is essential for a senior to experience a graceful and thriving aging experience. While it’s never easy to leave your home behind, the family needs to prepare the senior for the move. They can briefly describe the benefits the senior will enjoy at their new home, e.g., a senior living community, to help ensure they’re comfortable with and agreeable to the move.
The guide above briefly explains how you, as a family member, can find a suitable senior living setting for your aging loved one. Even if they don’t yet need professional care, it’s best to find and plan for their future care needs, as well-known senior living communities can get booked quickly, leaving you no choice but to book the second-best available option.
Those seeking a reliable senior living setting for their loved one that allows them to live the best of their life in their later years can contact us at Bridgeway Park Canton. Some of the amenities your loved one will receive from us include home-style meals, a socially enriching calendar, an on-site salon, and much more.