Top 9 Signs That It’s Time For Assisted Living

Top 9 Signs That It’s Time For Assisted Living

It’s not easy to bear the burden of having to move your elderly loved one into an assisted living facility. It’s especially more challenging when they are used to living on their own and is not too fond of the idea of moving to another facility

However, there may come a time when your loved one will need assistance in doing everyday activities and when this happens, you may need to start making all the necessary arrangements. But the question is: how will you know when it’s time to transfer your loved one to an assisted living facility?

Although the situation varies, there are surefire signs that you can identify whether your love done is better off in an assisted living facility or not. Having trouble with handling finances, personal care, household chores, or any slight, unusual change in their everyday habits may be a few obvious reasons.

Certain situations call for the need to make an alternative living arrangement for your loved one. When you start noticing these signs, they may need the type of care that can only be provided by assisted living facilities. Here are 9 signs to look out for:

  1. Accidents Become Frequent

Did you notice that your loved one experiences more falls frequently? Did he/she experience a medical scare? Accidents are likely to happen as your loved one ages. As a family member, you should be able to think of ways to prevent these situations from happening. With that said, opting to move your loved one to an assisted living facility may be the best choice to make. These facilities have staff that is equipped to assist and checks on them from time to time.

  1. Care Becomes More Demanding

Being a caregiver can be exhausting. When you notice that both you and your loved one are starting to become tired and frustrated with the care your loved one needs, it may be a sign that you should start seeking for help. Are the everyday needs of your loved one becoming more and more demanding? If so, it may be one of the reasons why the caregivers may feel worn down and the more you should consider moving your loved one to an assisted living facility.

  1. Basic Everyday Tasks Are Becoming More Challenging

Most seniors would prefer to stay independent and may overlook the challenge of taking care of themselves as they grow older. They tend to claim that they can still perform the basic everyday tasks such as taking a bath or dressing. However, this may not be true all the time. If you start detecting a mild body odor or notice the same set of clothes being worn for a few days straight, it might be another sign that they need to be transferred to an assisted living facility where their needs would be well taken care of.

  1. Financial Management is Affected

Overlooking bills and financial obligations arecommon among older people. If you find an unusual thank you letters from charities you don’t recognize or open a letter from a bank referring to late payments or overdrawn balances in your loved one’s mail, it may be an early indication of cognitive problem thereby increasing their need to be transferred to an assisted living facility.

  1. Changes in Diet

If you notice your loved one becoming thinner and thinner every time you see him/her, you might want to check their diet. This situation needs to be attended to immediately since it may lead to complications. Constantly taking out food that has gone bad in the fridge is an indication that your loved one may need to be moved to an assisted living facility.

  1. Housekeeping May Become Overlooked

It’s a known fact that keeping the house clean is one way of keeping the overall health of people in check. However, when the main person who keeps the home in order to grow older, cleaning may become difficult for them. Failing to keep up with the household chores may be an indication that your loved one may need the care provided by senior care facilities.

  1. Lesser Social Interactions

Think about the social connections your loved one has. As a person ages, their social circles tend to shrink and they become more prone social isolation which may be a result of some of their friends or significant others passing away or moving away to other places. However, this lack of companionship may be remedied if they move to an assisted living facility where they may be able to interact with other residents through recreational activities designed especially for them thereby allowing them to form a new social circle.

  1. Leaving Them Alone At Home May Not Be Safe Anymore

Stairs become one of the most hated enemies of people as they grow old. Aside from it being difficult to manage, stairs are also an avenue for deadly falls. Considering your loved one’s current living situation affects your decision on whether or not assisted living facility is best for them. Moreover, going outside alone may be dangerous for your elderly loved one especially if they have the tendency to wander.

  1. Early Signs of Cognitive Deterioration

The time may come when your elderly loved one’s memory may not be as sharp as before. When a person starts noticing cognitive deterioration among their loved one as an effect of aging, it may be time for them to seek assisted living facilities where their loved one’s needs may be tended to day and night.

Denial is Part of The Journey

Even when all the signs are evident, there will still be instances where the loved one and the family will be in denial of the fact that the move to an assisted living facility is necessary. This holds true for people whose loved ones are against the idea of assisted living.

As a matter of fact, denial is a very common case. The only problem in this situation is that: family members often don’t know how to face the problem and talk their loved one into moving. If you find yourself in this situation, you may consider hiring a geriatric manager who is highly trained help you walk through the process of convincing your loved one.You may be able to find one through National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers should you ever find yourself having trouble in looking for one.

Be Realistic

Evaluating the needs of your loved one is essential before deciding a senior care program that is fit for them since the type of services offered is different in each senior communities. Typically, assisted living facilities are designed to fill in the disparity between assistance and independence. The only people who are able to determine the level of care your loved one needs are the caregiver, you as a family member, and your loved one’s doctor.

Caring for your elderly loved one doesn’t necessarily have to be a difficult task. If you start noticing the telltale signs that your loved one may need to be assisted in his/her everyday routine, you may be able to contact assisted living facilities. This way, you would be able to put your mind to rest knowing that your loved one is well taken care of.

 

Assisted Living & Dementia

Assisted Living & Dementia

Growing old is inevitable. Eventually, your loved ones’ needs will change, becoming more and more demanding over time. Factors such as physical health or mental health decline contribute to the need of our loved ones to be transferred to a senior care facility. In choosing which facility to move, the design is an important factor. Most seniors tend to choose a place where they can feel at home than a hospital-looking one. Long-term care facilities can help your loved ones accomplish the daily activities through the help of our highly trained staff.

It’s no wonder why assisted living is the best senior care available today. There is, however, the matter of whether or not these facilities are able to handle senior residents who have cognitive diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. It’s important to know that the answer depends on what care the facility is able to provide.

Dementia is a common condition among the residents that are living in an assisted living facility but the problem is, most of them are misdiagnosed and as a result, they’re not given the proper care and medication that they need. In fact, 42% of the seniors in assisted living care facilities have some cognitive dysfunction or dementia according to the 2016 Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures by the Alzheimer’s Association and these numbers continue to rise every day and of all the living facilities in the country, only 58% of these offers a memory care program for seniors.

If you’re thinking of moving your senior loved one to a long-term care facility, it is important to know the facts first. The most important thing to know is whether or not the facility of your choice would be able to cater all the needs of your loved ones. But before that, it is important to be able to distinguish the difference between an assisted living facility and other communities that offer senior care and the services they offer.

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted living differs from a nursing home in a way that an assisted living facility is not licensed similarly to a nursing home. Assisted living also does not offer medical assistance on-site and mainly focuses on the independence of seniors and primarily tends to their unscheduled needs.

Generally, assisted living assists seniors in the daily activities such as bathing, grooming, mobility, meal preparation, as well as medication management. It also includes housekeeping and laundry services. Most assisted living facilities usually accept senior residents who don’t need a comprehensive and constant medical care.

Assisted Living for Seniors with Dementia

It is a fact that the number of seniors diagnosed with dementia rises each day. Though there are a lot of facilities that provide memory care for their residents with cognitive problems, the programs they provide varies. For example, one facility may only be able to provide care for people who have mild dementia and the other assisted living facility may accept residents diagnosed with a later stage.

Assisted living facilities that are made to provide special care for residents with Alzheimer’s are also common though they vary from one facility to the other.

With this, it is really important to look up facilities beforehand. Researching could help you become well-informed of the services that are covered by each assisted living facility, therefore, could help you in choosing the best place for your loved one.

Special Care Units (SCUs) is the term used to refer to assisted living facilities that provide a comprehensive care for seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Residents are assisted and tended to by highly trained professionals. These differ from an ordinary living facility in a way that these facilities provide programs that aim to repair or improve the cognitive function of the residents and their community are specifically intended and designed to suit the needs of residents with dementia.

Assisted Living For Seniors With Advanced Stages of Alzheimer’s

While most of the assisted living facilities only accept residents with an early stage of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, some facilities offer a more comprehensive care as the symptoms of this disease worsen. Moving the senior to a nursing facility or a nursing home ensures that the residents will be able to receive the care they need 24/7 from highly trained staff.

Although some facilities may just focus on providing assistance to residents with early or late stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, there are also other facilities that offer long-term care for people regardless of what stage of Alzheimer’s they’re in.

Choosing The Right Assisted Living Facility

The best way of knowing which facility to move your loved one into is by visiting them. This way, you’ll be able to assure that all their needs will be managed and taken care of. If you have a list of facilities you’re considering, it’s better to visit all of them. This way, you’ll be able to compare the services and programs they offer. To help you in choosing the right one, here is a list of the things you need to consider in an assisted living facility to transfer your loved one into:

  • The design of the facility – nonslip floors, good lighting, or proper locks.
  • The level of security – monitoring system and motion detectors.
  • Well-devised programs that are available to the residents.
  • Warmhearted Staff.
  • The time it takes for the personnel to take information that they can use in order to provide the care that would match the needs of the residents while ensuring the safety and well-being of each senior.
  • The atmosphere of the facility.
  • Highly trained professionals that are capable of handling patients with difficult behaviors
  • Different varieties of activities that are designed to improve the cognitive functions of residents with dementia.
  • Activities that would spark the interests of residents (i.e. recreational activities)
  • The residents that are currently living in the facility – do look healthy? Are they happy?
  • Does the facility have a place where residents may be able to enjoy their hobbies (i.e walking, gardening, etc.) or space where they will be allowed to relax?
  • Activities that celebrate simple accomplished tasks such as making the bed or cleaning their room.

Asking The Right Questions

In addition to the list of considerations, here are also some questions to ask the assisted living personnel to know more about the workings of their facility:

  • How many caregivers are on duty per shift? How about during weekends and holidays?
  • How many rooms does the facility have?
  • How many residents are living in the facility?
  • How many residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are currently living in the facility?
  • What if there’s an emergency? Is there a structured plan during emergencies?
  • What is the level of care offered by the facility?
  • What levels of care would the facility be able to offer residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s?
  • Are transportations available for residents should they need it?
  • Are the caregivers capable enough to handle dementia care for residents? How are they going to handle the wandering and difficult behaviors of their residents with dementia?
  • What is the caregiver-patient ratio of the facility?
  • Are there any arrangements regarding medical equipment such as wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, and others?
  • Will seniors with incontinence problems allowed?
  • Can a facility kick out a resident due to bad behavior?
  • Would the seniors be allowed to carry personal items to the facility with them?
  • Will medications be given in order to control the residents’ behavior?
  • Is there a need to transfer the senior should the symptoms of their disease progress over time?
  • What is the process of administering medications to residents?
  • What are the safety precautions for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia?

Moving your loved one at an assisted living would assure you that they will be given the best care no matter their condition. The services that long-term care facilities would be able to give their residents include but are not limited to:

  • Activities that focus on improving their mental and physical health
  • A feeling of independence
  • Exercises such as walking to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle
  • Empathetic staff that is able to understand the needs of each individual

Long-term care provided by assisted living facilities is important when your loved one isn’t capable of doing their daily activities without assistance. Knowing the facts beforehand is a crucial step in choosing which facility to choose. It’s the only way to ensure their safety while their needs are well-tended.

Assisted Living vs. Hospice

Assisted Living vs. Hospice

How Assisted Living and Hospice Work Together?

What comes to your mind when you hear the term hospice? Most people assume that when a senior’s health drastically declines, they would either have to physically move into a nursing home or a hospice. However, contrary to popular belief, this isn’t always true.

One of the most common misconceptions about hospice is that a lot of people still believe that ‘hospice’ is a place where seniors go to get treatment. While there are hospice facilities in the US, there are only a few of them. The term hospice pertains to a team of professionals who visits the elderly in their own homes – wherever they are located. Simply put, they are the ones who will go to the senior, rather than the other way around.

This is because seniors with terminal illnesses would rather spend their last days in the comforts of their own homes than in hospitals, nursing or hospice facilities. For the one million Americans seniors residing in assisted living facilities, they have considered these facilities to be their home. These seniors have formed lasting relationships with the staff, caregivers, and fellow residents.

Most assisted living facilities do not have an in-house hospice unit. In that case, the majority of them partner with community-based hospice companies so they can provide hospice services should their residents need it.

Hospice Care

One of the goals of hospice care is to lessen the pain and discomfort the patient feels when their illness is no longer appropriate for treatment. Medicare and other private healthcare insurance plans usually cover the cost of hospice care.

Hospice care is more than just giving medications – painkillers, sedatives, and whatnot. The care a hospice patient receives goes beyond medication management. Hospice care strives to maintain the best quality of life for your loved one for as long as possible. The hospice team not only ensures that the caregivers are well-versed on how to properly take care of the patient, but also provides emotional support and counseling to the patient and their loved ones. One of the primary goals of hospice care is to give the elderly an honorable, comfortable end of life.

Many assisted living facilities all over the United States are equipped with providing hospice care for their residents during their stay with the community. They are able to reap the benefits of hospice care without having to transfer to another facility or nursing home. However, in some states such as North Dakota, Idaho, Mississippi, and Montana, the state requires that hospice care should only be given outside assisted living facilities.

Since assisted living facilities do not provide comprehensive care, they cannot assure that they can accommodate residents until their last days. Terminally ill seniors require extensive and consistent medical care. In this case, senior residents may have to move into a hospital or nursing home. However, if the senior does not need comprehensive care or need to be hospitalized, they can very much receive hospice care in the assisted living facility.

Providing Comfort and Care

When medications and treatments are no longer working for your elderly loved one, hospice care takes over to give them the assistance, care, and comfort they need in times of distress. The hospice team works together with caregivers and other assisted living staff in order to create and provide the best care for senior residents.

Another misconception about hospice care is that it precipitates mortality. However, this isn’t true. Research suggests that seniors receiving hospice care live longer and better lives as opposed to seniors who do not. There are a lot of common misconceptions about hospice care, but it is simply a philosophy of care that aims to put your loved one’s interests in mind.

Assisted Living Facilities

An Assisted Living Facility is a type of senior care option for seniors who only require minimal aid in activities of daily living.

It helps seniors to remain independent in a safe and healthy environment while providing them with the assistance they need.

A lot of assisted living facilities are an advocate of the philosophy ‘aging in place’. This means that the senior resident will receive care, one way or another, without having to leave the facility. Aging in place enables the residents to reside in their senior community of choice for as long as they want – from post-retirement and even to the end-of-life stage. This gives seniors a sense of security in their long-term care planning.

Assisted Living and Hospice Care: Working Together

Since an assisted living community is primarily for seniors who require minimal assistance, are these facilities able to accommodate residents approaching the end-of-life stage?

The Center for Excellence in Assisted Living says that in most cases, hospice care is available. Besides, hospice care was initially designed to be an in-home service with only the clinicians present from the agency. As mentioned, many assisted living facilities’ staff work with hospice agencies to determine the type and level of care needed by the patient.
Hospice care providers visit seniors residing in assisted living facilities who are terminally ill or at the end-of-life stage. The Assisted Living Federation of America states that approximately one-third of seniors in assisted living communities receive end-of-life care within the community.

When is Hospice the right choice?

There are several factors caregivers or family members can look out for that indicates when hospice care is appropriate for your loved one. These include:

  • Sudden or rapid unintentional weight loss
  • More frequent trips to the emergency room or the doctor’s office
  • An obvious decline in the senior’s physical and mental health status
  • A decline in the senior’s level of mobility, requiring numerous interventions by the facility’s staff
  • Requiring more assistance when it comes to daily activities or when the senior has become visibly weaker
  • The senior chooses to stop any aggressive treatment options
  • Underlying disease of the senior is rapidly progressing causing a new diagnosis

If you or the facility notice a steady decline in your loved one’s health or for seniors who are given a prognosis of six months or less, hospice care may be recommended by the facility or the senior’s medical team.

Dying is never easy. It takes a toll on the senior and his/her loved ones. However, it is inevitable; which is why hospice care ensures that your loved one will pass away with dignity and honor they so rightly deserve.

As your loved one ages, it is best to be prepared for every possibility – even the end-of-life stage. Assisted living facilities work with hospice care providers to accommodate the ever-changing needs of their residents so they don’t have to move into another facility.

How Assisted Living Has Changed Through The Years

How Assisted Living Has Changed Through The Years

Choosing to move your loved one to an assisted living facility is not an easy decision to make. Additionally, selecting what options are available can be quite overwhelming for both the senior and his/her family. The strain of planning an immediate and appropriate living arrangement due to the declining health of their loved ones may also make it difficult for them. However, knowing what services assisted living facilities offer to its residents can make everything more simple for both parties.

Assisted living facilities have become a safe heaven for seniors. It gives them a chance to improve their quality of life. An assisted living facility allows them to interact with other residents, make new friends, and widen their social circle by participating in different activities that are offered by the facility. This holds true for very older adults who have previously been confined within the comforts of their homes due to some physical and cognitive difficulties. Moreover, the medication management services that are also offered by the facilities are extremely helpful for seniors since they are able to take their medications on time every day.

It is important to understand, though, that not all assisted living facilities are created equally. Visiting the facilities personally may help you know whether or not it is a good place for your loved one to transfer to considering the level of care they need and their preferences. While it’s important to know the services that are offered by the facility, there are also other factors you need to consider. These factors include the staff’s expertise in the field especially if your loved one is diagnosed with early dementia or Alzheimer’s. It is also important to consider the emotional support that will be given to your loved one.

Assisted living facilities are constantly changing through the years. Through research and evaluations, assisted living facilities may be able to keep up with the latest trends and improve the services they offer to their clientele.

How Assisted Living Has Evolved

More states have established regulations that aim for a better, cleaner, and more trained personnel to handle residents in an assisted living facility. As a result, the decision of moving their loved ones into senior care communities became easier for them.

The luxury type of assisted living is popular among seniors and their families these days. It’s especially attractive to them since their loved ones could enjoy living in a facility that closely resembles a classy resort.

There are a lot of amenities and services that seniors could enjoy in assisted living facilities including:

  • Wellness programs and exercises that are designed to cater the needs of your loved one
  • Food preparation
  • Barber and beautician services
  • Housekeeping services
  • Laundry Services
  • Transportation services
  • Recreational activities
  • Social events
  • Physical and occupational therapy
  • Support group or discussion groups

Most of what is listed are included in the basic services that are offered by facilities. Before making a decision, be sure to consult your loved one regarding their preferences. If they want to avail of any additional services aside from the basic ones, it’s important to know that additional costs may apply.

What Assisted Living Facilities Looks Like Today

The type of assisted living facilities today usually varies depending on the senior living professionals in each community. Most facilities today provide a condominium type of living where residents may be able to choose to receive care discreetly in accordance with their preferred time or schedule.

Residents in the assisted living facilities are encouraged to join the activities but are not forced to participate. The seniors living in an assisted living facility may have different schedules and they are free to do as they like so long as it’s safe for them.

Day to Day Care

The major role of assisted living is to provide an extra helping hand to seniors who need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). Therefore, if your loved one is still capable of doing everyday activities with little help, assisted living facilities may be the best choice for them. The personnel at an assisted living facility are trained to aid seniors with:

  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Eating
  • Mobility
  • Using the toilet
  • Grooming

The staff in Assisted living facilities may also offer assistance to your loved one when it comes to instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) including:

  • Managing finances
  • Meal preparation
  • Transportation
  • Shopping
  • Using a phone
  • Household chores

However, the family may also have the option of handling the IADLs for the seniors. Every assisted living facility have their own structure regarding these situations and you may be able to set up an arrangement that would work best for you and your elderly loved one.

It is also vital for the seniors to have a connection with the facility’s staff since they will be depending mostly on them in doing most of the basic daily activities, may it be dressing, helping them shower, or helping them prepare their meals. On the other hand, the care providers should also make an effort in connecting with the senior residents since they will become a big part of the senior resident’s life.

How Important is the Ongoing Staff Training?

It’s understandable that you might have doubts relying on someone to tend to the needs of your elderly loved one, especially if you don’t know that person. In order to remedy that, assisted living facilities have provided programs and emotion-based care training for their caregivers to ensure the families of their residents that the needs of their elderly loved one are under the care of highly skilled care professionals.

In the process of finding the right professionals for the job, the applicants need to undergo a comprehensive hiring process. The supervisor should be able to monitor and demonstrate great care to the newly hired staff every now and then. They should also be able to provide on-going training to ensure that their skills will be further developed to provide an even greater service to the residents.

The Importance of Connecting Emotionally with Staff

It’s a known fact that the family of the senior residents would want the staff to treat their elderly loved one as a part of their family. Since the staff plays a big role in the lives of the senior residents, a lot of seniors would want the staff to share personal stories in order for both parties to know each other on a deeper level. This way, a connection between the staff and the senior would be established.

The level of interaction between staff and residents is one of the biggest factors that families consider in choosing the right assisted living facility for their elderly loved one. Emotional connections are important since it shows that the community is surrounded by a supportive environment and at the same time a caring and loving staff.

With the number of assisted living care facilities all over the country today, it isn’t exactly wrong to say that each facility differs from the other in some ways. Looking into the amenities and services each facility offers is vital in choosing the best senior care community for your loved one. .

9 Tips on Selecting the Best Assisted Living Facility

9 Tips on Selecting the Best Assisted Living Facility

With over 28,000 assisted living facilities in the United States, choosing the best assisted-living facility for your elderly loved one can be a little overwhelming. There are so many factors to consider because it’s very similar to choosing a new home.

How can you possibly choose a new living space with just a few visits? Easy – you need to ask a lot of questions. We’ve rounded up nine tips on what to ask the staff and what factors to look out for so you’ll know which assisted living facility is the best for your loved one.

1.  Ask the staff how long they’ve been working for the facility.

High caregiver turnover is a common problem among assisted living facilities. However, one of the factors in distinguishing the ‘best’ ALF is that there is a high retention of staff workers. This usually means that the management treats their staff well that it translates to their performance. If the caregiver is happy and if he/she enjoys what he/she does, then you’re sure that your elderly loved one will be well taken care of.

2.  Talk to the caregivers

The backbone of the facility is not the owner, nor is it the residents. In fact, the backbone of every assisted living facility are the caregivers. Aside from taking good care of the senior residents and attending to their needs, caregivers set the tone and the mood of the facility.

Sure, getting to know the owners and managers of every ALF you consider is important, but establishing a relationship with the caregivers are a must. After all, they’re the ones your loved one is interacting to the most. Getting to know them gives you a hint of how the facility treats their staff.

3.  Talk to a resident

During your visit, don’t forget to talk to the residents because some visitors can sometimes feel shy or uncomfortable reaching out to residents. This may seem obvious but if residents seem happy and enthusiastic to talk about their new home then chances are, they love it there. If you think a lot of the residents seem unhappy or uncomfortable then it’s a serious red flag.

The type of residents that reside in the facility speaks volumes regarding the quality of the environment your elderly loved one may soon move into. You’d be surprised how much you’ll inside scoop you get just by talking to the senior residents. If you’re unsure where to start, find a common ground between the both of you and work from there.

4.  Sniff, sniff – Observe the Cleanliness

The first time you step into the facility, you’ll notice whether it feels fresh and clean. But don’t forget to look past the overall atmosphere. Look into the corners, the rooms, the baseboards, windows, and the kitchen. Make sure to ask how often the facility is cleaned and if housekeeping is provided in the resident’s personal living quarters. It usually is but it never hurts to ask. Also ask about types of maintenance offered, as well as the laundry procedures – along with the additional costs that come with these services.

If you notice bad odors in the property, this can be a strong indication of a (temporary or not) problem with cleanliness. If the odor comes from one specific place, then it might’ve been a recent incident, nothing a good cleaning couldn’t fix. However, if the odor can be smelled throughout the whole community, then this indicates a bigger problem. Feel free to ask the manager about it.

5.  Ask about fees.

One of the most important factors in choosing the best ALF is the affordability. Knowing the fees associated with every facility you consider will help speed up the decision process and also helps the family make a sound decision.

It’s also important to ask how and when they compute monthly rates for care fees. Being upfront about this issue is a great help in avoiding unnecessary problems in the future, and therefore leading to a happier stay in the assisted living facility.

6.  Checkout the visitor bathroom.

We’ve already established that we should keep an eye on the level of cleanliness in all parts of a facility. While we’re sure that the common areas of the home would be spotless, visitor bathrooms are sometimes left untaken cared of. If a facility can’t keep visitor bathrooms clean, then think about the residents’ own bathrooms.

7.  Arrive early.

Arriving early gives you a chance to ask questions, talk to other people, and check out the visitor bathroom. And not only that, it gives you a better picture of the facility as a whole. Think about it, during a scheduled tour, the facility will most likely put their best foot forward. However, being there ahead of time shows you the true colors of an assisted living facility.

8.  Ask feedback from residents and their families.

A senior resident’s family will have a lot to say about the assisted living facility, so be sure to ask past or present residents and families of their opinion. Assisted living communities usually have a resident council that will be more than happy to answer all your burning questions. If you don’t have time to personally approach them, you can message them online or read various reviews on the facility.

9.  Go with your gut.

While touring potential assisted living facilities, don’t ever forget to picture your loved one actually living in the facilities. Does your loved one seem comfortable? Do you feel at ease knowing you’ll hand over your loved one to them? Are the residents, along with the staff, friendly, inviting, and warm? Trust your gut no matter what.

We’re well aware that touring different assisted living facilities and making life-changing decisions for your elderly loved one can be taxing. Don’t forget to ask your loved one’s opinion. After all, they’ll be the ones who transition to a new chapter in their lives. If you’re still looking for an ALF, don’t lose hope! You’re sure to find the perfect ALF for your loved one – you just have to know what you’!