Selecting a Senior Living Alternative

Senior Living: Steps to Finding the Right Fit

If you’re seeking a senior living arrangement for yourself or a senior loved one, you may have found the number of choices and options to be comforting, yet somewhat overwhelming. Gone are the days when a nursing home was the only option. Today, there are a multitude of options ranging from in-home care, to moderate and luxurious senior apartments, to senior living communities and more. Plus, these options have a number of different features and benefits. It’s all good, but how does one begin to choose?

According to alfa.org, the choice about when to move into a senior living residence is as individual as the person making the decision. There’s no clear-cut, step-by-step template that tells people exactly when it’s time to consider a move to an independent-living community, assisted-living community or other alternative. However, there are numerous signs that a new living arrangement is needed, such as the inability to manage a home’s upkeep, assistance with meals, medication management, loneliness, and other issues. Fortunately, many more assisted living and senior living options are available today than there were decades ago. The issue is finding the best fit.

Steps to Choosing the Right Senior Living Alternative

Step One: Decide on city and state for Senior Living Community

This may seem obvious, but a great way to narrow down your initial search is to decide where you or your senior loved one would like to live; in which city and state. Perhaps you’d like to retire in a warm climate away from your present home. Perhaps you’d like to remain close to family where you are now. To find senior homes in a particular area, simply visit alternativesforseniors.com and enter a city and state to locate homes in your area of choice.

Step Two: Determine what type of assistance the senior will require.

Seniors who are fairly healthy and able to get around well on their own, but could use some assistance with daily living may do well with in-home care or adult day care, for example. Whereas, a senior with Alzheimer’s disease might seek a senior living facility that specializes in Alzheimer’s care. There are also nursing/rehab centers, senior living communities, senior apartments, independent-living communities, assisted living communities, and more from which to choose in relation to a senior’s needs. Alternatives for Seniors provides an easy-to-use Evaluation Tool to help you determine which type of senior living might be best.

Step Three: What services and features do you want

Once you’ve decided where and what type of care would be the best fit, you’ll have narrowed down your choices considerably. Now it’s time to consider the features and services of each choice to ensure they meet your needs. You’ll want to visit each facility, take a tour and ask a number of questions that are pertinent to senior daily requirements. For example, does the facility offer scheduled doctor visits? Do they provide transportation? Do they offer medication assistance? Basically, do they offer what your senior needs in order to feel comfortable and in good care. Once you find the care that feels “just right”, then you’ll know you’ve found the perfect senior living arrangement.

If you would like help working through these three steps, Alternatives for Seniors provides friendly phone assistance. Simply call a Senior Specialists at (888) WE-ASSIST (888-932-7747).

Alternatives for Seniors is a print and online directory that specifically caters to the housing and personal care concerns of senior citizens and their families since 1992. Be sure to join the Alternatives for Seniors Facebook community and follow Alternatives for Seniors on Twitter.

 

BLOG Date: January 16, 2014

Writer: Ryan Allen