WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN TOURING AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

Written on August 29, 2024, by Peter Hayes, President Senior Care Relations

Choosing the right assisted living community is a significant decision. When touring a community, consider your loved one’s current situation, their needs and determine if the community can fulfill those needs. Also, think about what the community has to offer. These helpful hints can assist you in coming up with questions to ask during your tour. Here are some key factors to consider.

• Care Needs: Assess the level of care required, including assistance with daily activities (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, and medication management. Does the assisted living community have planned bathing schedules? Can the community help mom or dad with getting dressed and groomed in the morning and prior to bed?
• Location: Consider the assisted living’s proximity to family, friends, and healthcare providers. A convenient location can make visits easier and more frequent. Find out if the community has onsite healthcare providers that round the community on a routine basis. If so, you can eliminate the task of getting a loved one to a healthcare appointment with their primary care physician (PCP). Sometimes communities have providers who specialize in certain areas such as a podiatrist who will come onsite on a regular basis. Typically, this would happen on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis due to insurance.
• Staff Qualifications: Inquire about the staff’s qualifications, experience, and the staff-to-resident ratio. It’s important to ensure that the community has well-trained and sufficient staff to meet residents’ needs. Typically, the Director of Nursing will be a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and occasionally a Registered Nurse (RN). Anyone administering medications must be a Registered Medication Aide (RMA). Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) or Nursing Aides (NA) provide generally direct care such as bathing and grooming.
• Safety and Security: Check for safety features such as handrails, emergency call systems, and secure entrances. The community should have protocols in place for emergencies.
• Amenities and Activities: Evaluate the available amenities and activities. A good community should offer a variety of physical, social, cognitive, spiritual, recreational, and wellness programs to keep residents engaged and active.
• Cost and Payment Options: Understand the costs involved and what is included in the fees. Inquire about payment options, financial assistance, and any additional charges for specific services. Assisted living communities can vary in the structure of costs. Some communities may be all inclusive meaning the monthly flat rate includes rent and care. Other communities may have a separate rate for rent and additional cost for care. This structure is designed so people are not overpaying for care that isn’t necessary. If someone requires less assistance, then they can save money because they require less attention compared to someone who may need more hands-on assistance. Inquire about any additional costs that may not be covered within the normal rent. Additional costs are variable expenses that could be added to the monthly bill that may have taken place in the previous 30 days. For example, if your loved one got a haircut done onsite then the community may pay the beautician directly and recoup the cost by applying the fee to the resident’s monthly bill. This can be beneficial because the resident doesn’t have to worry about carrying cash on them for haircuts or other miscellaneous costs.
• Reputation and Reviews: Research the facility’s reputation through online reviews, testimonials, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Visiting the community and talking to current residents and their families can provide valuable insight.
• Licensing and Accreditation: Ensure the facility is licensed and accredited by relevant authorities. This can be an indicator of the quality of care and adherence to standards.

Using a local senior living advisor to find the right assisted living community for a loved one is a complementary service that will benefit you by reducing the time involved in finding the right fit.

Senior Care Relations understands the differences between each community and can help you save time on identifying which community will meet your needs and preferences. We do not charge a fee to our clients. Helping you find the right senior living community is completely FREE to you! We can provide this service for FREE, because we receive a fee from the assisted living community if our client moves into their community.

If you live in the Roanoke, Salem, Botetourt, New River Valley, or other surrounding areas in Virginia and you are looking to gather more information about assisted living or other care options for you or a loved one, feel free to email us at info@seniorcarerelations.com or call us at (540) 730-1001 to schedule your FREE consultation today. We are here to help you along your care journey!