A move to senior living can help you with the things you need and free up time for you to do the things you want. Ask yourself these questions when deciding where to spend your retirement years.
1. Does it offer the comforts of home?
Senior housing should provide more than a place to live. It should offer a sense of comfort and control. Most important, it should provide a true feeling of community. If you’re an avid bird-watcher, you may want a birdfeeder outside your window. Maybe you simply enjoy sitting and reading in your favorite chair. No matter what it is that makes home feel like home, your senior living community should provide those same comforts.
2. Will your home be worry-free?
Worry-free means more than having someone to help mow the lawn or keep up with maintenance around the house. It means living in a home and an environment where you feel safe and can sit back and enjoy the things that matter – like spending time with grandkids, pursuing hobbies and traveling. After all, there’s more to life than keeping up with home maintenance.
3. What services are provided?
Many senior housing options provide a wide variety of services and amenities. These services should help you enjoy a relaxed, comfortable lifestyle at home. They should also meet your changing health and mobility needs. From light housekeeping and lawn maintenance to meal programs and transportation, it’s important to select a senior housing community that provides the right services for you.
4. Do the community’s values align with your own?
Besides delivering the best service possible, your senior housing community should help you continue living out your personal beliefs. When you call or visit, ask about the organization’s values. Do those values align with your own? It’s important to find a community in which you feel welcomed, loved, appreciated and treated with dignity.
5. Is my name on a waiting list?
You may not be in need of senior housing services at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you should wait to begin considering your options. Many senior living communities have waiting lists. Instead of waiting for a crisis before looking into your options, consider planning ahead to ensure you’re prepared when the time is right.
