If you are researching senior living options for a spouse, parent or loved one, it’s important to remember that the right option is out there. It can be easy to get bogged down by the overwhelming nature of the research process and the sheer volume of choices available. How can you keep track of them all? How can you be sure which is truly the best? One of the easiest ways to keep track of your living options and their best qualities is by classifying them by the criteria that are most important to you – and the best way to determine where they land is by asking the right questions.
Consider the features, attributes or benefits that are most important to your loved one and use them to craft 3-5 question. The answers to these should quickly and easily reveal to you whether the community provides them or not. This way, you will have a structured and uniform system with which to keep track of potential options. The more answers that align with your ideal criteria, the better a fit the community will be. While the ideal characteristics of a senior living community vary from person to person, below is a list of sample questions that can help you learn more about a potential option and whether or not it will be a good fit.
Is the organization non-profit?
While an organization or community being for-profit should not immediately remove them from your list, non-profit organizations come with a lot of benefits of which many may not be aware. For instance, the operations of non-profits are often governed by volunteer Boards of Directors rather than investors and shareholders. This means that decisions are made by those who have more of an emotional stake in how a community is run than a financial one. What’s more, non-profits are designed to redirect excess revenue back into the community (e.g., updated buildings and grounds and reduced rent for residents).
What happens if my loved one’s needs change?
As people age, they may require more assistance as their needs change. It can be helpful to seek out a senior living option that will cater to these changing needs without requiring the resident to uproot their lives to move to an entirely new community. Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs, are designed to accommodate changing needs by allowing residents to seek new levels of assistance or care while remaining at home in the comfort of their community. For example, if someone moves into a CCRC at the independent living level, but after a few years comes to require assistance with activities of daily living such as washing or grooming, they will be able to upgrade to the assisted living level while remaining in a familiar setting.
What if my loved one lives with me and only needs care during the day?
Being a caregiver is a demanding job, especially if they have a job or personal commitments that require them to leave the home for extended periods. This lack of supervision can create anxiety for the caregiver and safety risks for the person under their care. What’s more, they may simply need some time to decompress and focus on themselves without guilt or worry. Some communities offer adult daycare programs to address these issues, allowing the caregiver a break from their caregiving obligations and to attend to their own daily chores, work, or even get some much-needed rest.
Use these examples to come up with a few more questions that will help you determine whether a potential community has everything your loved one will need to make their transition to senior living a joyous, positive and comfortable one. If you would like to learn more about a non-profit CCRC in Ontario, CA, call us at (909) 983-0084 or contact us online at https://ichome.org/contact/ today.