Senior living communities come in all sizes. Which one is best for your aging loved one will hinge on factors like personal preferences, the care they need, and budget.
When you’re choosing the best size senior living community, keep the following five steps in mind.
5 Steps to Choose the Right Senior Living Community for Your Loved One
The following steps can help you find a retirement community that’s the perfect size for your relative.
1. Choose the Right Level of Care
The first step in choosing the best senior living community for your loved one is to determine what type of care they need. Based on their specific needs, you can choose the senior living option that will provide them the best quality of life, with a staff-to-resident ratio that can give you peace of mind that your family member’s medical care and personal care needs are met.
Popular senior care options include:
- Independent living communities. Independent senior communities are for older adults who want to live among their peers. These communities are less about offering care services and more about providing maintenance-free living arrangements. They come in a variety of sizes, with smaller communities offering privacy and larger communities providing a greater opportunity for social engagement with other residents.
- Assisted living communities. Caregivers at these communities help residents with activities of daily living, like getting dressed, toileting, and bathing. Residents at these communities need some help with daily tasks but can otherwise manage just fine on their own. These communities are usually of modest size to make navigating the campus easier for residents.
- Memory care communities. These senior living facilities are catered to the needs of people living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of memory loss. They have a higher staff-to-resident ratio than assisted living communities due to the specific needs of memory care residents. The communities themselves are often smaller, with easier-to-follow layouts to make day-to-day life less stressful for residents.
- Skilled nursing care communities (nursing homes). These communities are for older adults who need a higher level of care for medical issues, and are often on smaller campuses compared to many independent and assisted living communities.
- Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). CCRCs are on large campuses with highly trained staff members that can offer the right senior care services to residents, no matter the level of care they need. CCRCs can have a combination of independent, memory care, assisted living, and skilled nursing care services available, so that residents don’t have to move to a new community when their needs change.
2. Create a Budget
Once you’ve determined the right level of care for your family member, it’s time to set a budget. Keep in mind that not all services and amenities are covered in a community’s monthly fees.
If you find that communities near your loved one are out of your budget, it may be time to consider moving your relative to a lower cost of living area so they can afford the care they need at a community that fits their personal preferences.
3. Browse Communities Near You
Once you’ve set a budget, it’s time to find a community that’s the right size for your relative. You can start with a quick online search for “senior living community near me,” “independent living near me,” or some variation of these queries.
Once you’ve found nearby communities, you can narrow your choices based on factors like:
- Affordability. Does the community accept Medicaid or private long-term care insurance? What’s included in the monthly fees?
- Level of care. Does the community offer the services your relative needs?
- Staffing. Is there a good staff-to-resident ratio?
- Services and amenities. On-site fitness centers, personalized dining options, transportation services to healthcare appointments, and community outings are all commonly offered at senior communities, although they may not always be included in base monthly fees.
4. Review Floor Plans
You’ve found a few communities that fit your criteria. Now it’s time to review floor plans.
Most communities offer a wide variety of living arrangements to suit the personal preferences of their residents. If your relative is a private person, they may enjoy a smaller single room. If your loved one is an extrovert with lots of knick-knacks, however, they may benefit from a larger shared room.
5. Schedule a Tour
You’ve determined the right level of care. You know your budget. You’ve singled out communities with the right layouts. Now it’s time to see what each community offers in person by scheduling a tour. This way, your relative can see up close what their new home will be like, and you can ask for additional information in person from experienced caregivers in the community.
If your loved one is in need of memory care, assisted living, or respite care services, schedule a tour with an Avista community near you today.