How To Choose the Right Assisted Living Community for You
Deciding to move to an assisted living community is a big decision to make. Once you have talked it
over with your family and decided that it is the right option for you, it is time to start looking for a
suitable place to call home. There are a lot of options available to you and it can be confusing
knowing which one to choose. Here is a guide on how to choose the right assisted living community
for you.
Location
The first decision you need to make is the location. You may want to stay in an area you have lived
in all your life but if your family are elsewhere, it might be a good idea to move somewhere closer to
them so that they can visit more easily. Luckily, there are assisted living communities all over the
country. for example, Belmont Village Senior Living has over thirty locations so you won’t be limited
by geographical area.
Price
The cost of living in your chosen community will be important to you. Check your finances and see if
you have an insurance policy or savings that will cover your accommodation. Chat to your bank or
financial advisor if you are unsure. Family or friends may offer to chip in, with the cost which will
make it that bit more affordable for you too.
The chances are good that you will want to sell your home to move to your new one, so don’t forget
to factor in the sale price too. There are different payment plans available, so check with the
communities you like the look of to see what their pricing structure is and how you can manage it.
Online Research
Once you know the area and the price range you are looking at, it is time to start your research.
Take your time and have a good look at the options available to you. Keep a pen and paper to hand
so that you can make a shortlist of the ones that look best and note down any questions that spring
to mind when you are doing your research.
Call Them
It is now time to make some phone calls to your shortlisted communities and ask any questions you
have. If you like the sound of them, you should arrange to visit. Schedule some time in your diary to
visit all the ones you like the sound of. Remember to book these appointments at times that suit
you best. For example, if you are traveling some distance to visit it could be a good idea to see
several in one day, so you can maximize the time you spend in the area and you don’t have to make
multiple trips. However, if the communities are close by then spreading out your visits will put you
under less pressure and give you time to make notes and discuss what you have seen with family
and friends afterward.
Visit In Person
Visiting in person will give you a great feel for the community and help you to see if you would be
happy living there. While you are there, pay attention to the cleanliness of your environment and
look at any food the residents are served. Ask to see a menu so that you can get a preview of the
food you will be served if you move there. These will be important factors to you once you have
arrived.
Chat to the staff and see what they are like. Do they seem to be happy in their jobs and how long
have they been working for the company? This will give you an idea of what the turnover of staff is
like. It can be unsettling if you are constantly seeing new faces and the managers are always training
new staff who don’t know what they are doing, so pay attention to what you are being told.
To get the inside scoop of what the assisted living community is like, talk to the other residents. Ask
them if they are happy living there and how they are treated by the staff. Do you get on particularly
well with any of them? If so, this could make your transition easier.
Timetable
A timetable of activities should be available to you either online or in person. Look at this and see if
you like any of the options available. It could be good fun to move to an area where they organize
your favorite pastimes on a regular basis. The other thing to look at is how often they organize
excursions. If you want to get out and about, a community that organizes regular trips to places of
interest might suit you well.
Level of Care
The level of care you can be offered in the assisted living community will become more important to
you the longer you live there. It may be that you can take care of yourself and don’t need to be
nursed right now, but this could change in the future. You will need to consider whether these
changing needs could be catered for within the community or whether you would be expected to
move again if you were to get dementia or suffer from a long-term illness. It is one thing to move in
while you are well enough to arrange the furniture yourself and get out and about, but you may not
want the hassle of moving again if you become infirm. Many assisted living facilities cater to the
changing needs of their residents.
These are important things to consider once you have decided to move into an assisted living
community. This can seem quite overwhelming at first. However, if you work through this list slowly
and methodically and ask family and friends for help and support as you go along, it will be
manageable. You will soon be happy and settled in an assisted living community that is right for you
and caters well to your needs.
