Choosing a retirement community that meets your needs or the needs of a loved one can be an overwhelming decision. You have to assess practical considerations as well evaluate staff behavior and competency. And you may be trying to undertake all of this at a stressful time when you or your loved one is facing significant health worries. To help you find the right community for your needs, here are some things to consider for yourself, and some questions to ask prior to or during a tour of the retirement communities in pa.
The closer you are to your friends and family the easier it will be for them to visit regularly. Find out whether visits are welcome at any time or if the facility has restricted visiting hours.
While you might be happy to live in a community for active seniors, if the community doesn’t offer assisted living care or nursing care it could be very disruptive to have to find a suitable care home when you’re no longer in good health. The best type of facility to choose, if you can find one in your area, is one that caters to all types of needs, allowing you to access a greater level of care if and when you need it.
Ensure that you understand the fee structure, so that you aren’t subject to any unpleasant surprises. Some communities will stack extra charges on an a la carte basis onto a basic monthly fee, which is often very helpful because then you don’t end up paying for services that you don’t need. However, this can work out to be more expensive than an all-inclusive fee if you require a higher level of care. Do the math and make sure that the numbers add up!
Ideally, any home on your shortlist will have passed their inspection with flying colors. But all is not lost if they weren’t 100% up to scratch. Find out what the failures were and ask what was done to correct to them. As long as the failures weren’t serious and the management corrected things in a timely manner then you should be okay.
You should look for facilities that provide regular transport so that residents can easily attend doctor’s appointments, go shopping, or head out to enjoy activities and local events.
Is the system managed on paper or on a computer system? Who has access to the medications? Are they safely stored? If you’re considering a home for a family member, then you’ll need to ensure that they can’t take someone else’s medication by mistake.
By taking the time to check out the communities on your list and making sure that you haven’t missed any details, you’ll have extra peace of mind when it comes to narrowing down your shortlist to the final one that will be your new home.
