When you consider the sheer volume of senior living options available today, choosing the right one for your parent or loved one can start to feel like an impossible task. How will you find the time to assess all of the choices? Even then, how can you know you are making the right choice among a sea of flashy websites and big promises? Don’t be discouraged! There are plenty of ways to streamline your research process and approach it in a way that will help you identify the right choice for your family.
Determine the Level of Care
The variety of lifestyles and care levels in senior living can make the scope of your research process larger than it needs to be, so this is an important first step. Consider your loved one’s situation and determine which option is the best for them.
- Independent Living: Suited for those who are physically capable and need no assistance with daily life but wish to avoid burdens like home maintenance or isolation.
- Skilled Nursing: Designed for people in need of consistent monitoring and medical care such as those with a severe injury or illness.
- Memory Care: Intended for those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia who need elevated supervision and safety measures to improve quality of life.
- Assisted Living: Provides an autonomous lifestyle similar to independent living but with professional support for activities of daily life such as dressing, bathing and grooming.
- Residential Care: An intimate, homelike option with low resident capacities with a focus on assisted living, with qualified options offering skilled nursing and memory care services as well.
Get Organized
Create a checklist that lists the services, qualities or characteristics you are seeking in a senior living community, then use this checklist to assess each option you find. This can help quickly narrow down your choices by identifying the ones that check most or all of the boxes. Below are some examples of what to look for.
- Nurse-owned: It is owned and operated by someone with a medical or healthcare background rather than an inexperienced entrepreneur.
- All-inclusive pricing: It presents you with a single price that covers rent, care, meals, amenities, toiletries and all other essentials instead of up-charging for them later.
- Low staff-to-resident ratio: There are not too many residents per staff member, meaning that aides have more time for each resident (a 1:6 ratio, for example, is better than 1:10).
- Private rooms: Residents have the option to live in their own rooms and enjoy more privacy than in a shared room.
- Involved ownership: The owners are involved in operations and regularly visit each home to ensure quality.
- Multiple care levels: It provides multiple services, such as assisted living and memory care, in case your loved one’s needs change.
If you wish to learn about a residential care provider offering assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing, contact Heartfelt Residential Care today at (800) 379-3860 or contact us online.
