Have you recently begun exploring potential senior living options for yourself or a loved one such as a parent or spouse? If so, congratulations! Making the move to senior living is an exciting step in anyone’s life; it provides a foundation for a safe and comfortable new chapter in retirement. However, you have likely noticed the abundance of choices out there. This can make the research process feel overwhelming. What’s more, your time may be limited by work, family, and other obligations. It can begin to feel like there are not enough hours in the day to conduct research the right way.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to simplify the process. By following the five tips below, you can compartmentalize and streamline your efforts to make things much easier on yourself.
1. Identify the right lifestyle or care level. There are many levels of living and care options, and each serves a different purpose. Selecting the one that is right for your situation can help narrow down your choices. For example, independent living is great for a physically capable person who may be struggling with home upkeep and isolation. Assisted living, on the other hand, provides a similar lifestyle with the added bonus of professional support with tasks like dressing, bathing, or grooming.
2. Find a community with an “aging in place” model. The “aging in place” model allows residents to stay in the same apartment or campus as their needs change. Thus, they will offer multiple levels of care in addition to the one you chose. Harkening back to the previous example, aging in place allows someone who enters at the independent living level to switch to assisted living (should the need arise) without needing to move to a new residence.
3. Create a spreadsheet. Juggling the different communities you come across during your research can be a challenge. It is much easier to balance them all by entering them into a spreadsheet or Microsoft Word document so that you can have all the information you need at your fingertips without rifling through your search history or working from memory alone.
4. Look at included services and amenities. Some communities offer more included perks than others. Looking for options that offer more can help you decide on an ideal option. In your spreadsheet or Word document, list next to the names of the contenders the services and amenities of interest to you or your loved one.
5. Only schedule tours with the most appealing options. Campus tours provide a better sense of life at a community than can be found online. It also provides a valuable opportunity to ask questions in person. However, it is not plausible to take tours of every single option you stumble across. Use your spreadsheet or Word document to select the top 2-3 options on paper and schedule tours with them only. This can save you a great deal of time.
If you would like to learn more about a non-profit Ontario senior living community with lots of included amenities and an aging-in-place model, contact Inland Christian Home. Call us today at (909) 983-0084 or reach us online.