Selecting a senior living community is a complicated process. Here are the top 10 senior housing researching tips.
1). Consult with a senior housing advisor. Make your life easier by consulting with an expert who is familiar with all the options in the area and someone who takes the time to understand your wants, needs and desires. Ideally, this advisor should be looking after your best interest and have a fiduciary relationship with you. Understand how the advisor is compensated since some advisors will collect commissions from the senior housing community they recommend to you which may not be in your best interest. This is could be a huge conflict of interest.
2). Determine where you want to live. This might seem basic, but it is amazing how many people research senior housing communities in areas that they know they don’t want to live. Speak with your family and determine geographically where you want to live. Once you have narrowed this down, try to narrow it down even further by zeroing in on specific areas within that geographic zone. This will help you pin-point your research.
3). Determine your time frame. There is a saying we have in this business. “It is better to be 5 years to early than 5 minutes too late.” Many quality senior housing communities have medical acceptance criteria to move in; therefore if you wait too long, you may not get accepted. Think about your time frame and what needs to occur between now and then. Keep in mind that researching various senior housing communities will take some time, so you probably want to start earlier than what you imagine. Some senior housing communities have wait lists, so it might be necessary to get your name on a list before you are able to move in.
4). Review policies and procedures. Understanding the rules of the senior housing community is something that many people fail to do before they move in. Some examples include: Is there a dress code? What is the pet policy? Can you use your extra meals for guests? What are the qualifications of the person who is responding to your apartment in case of an emergency? As a senior housing advisor, this is an area were true expertise helps to ask questions that you may not know to ask. It is always a good idea to get a copy of any agreements you will be expected to sign and have your attorney review these documents.
5). Tour one senior housing community per day. Visiting a senior housing community take a lot of energy. Call ahead and schedule a personal tour of the senior housing community. Where comfortable shoes since you should be prepared to walk some distances during your visit. Take notes and ask questions that you want to ask. Keep in mind that not only do you want to look at apartment floor plans, but more importantly, you want to get a feel of the lifestyle of the community. Can you see yourself living at this senior housing community?
6). Tour the health care facility. One of the main reasons you are considering a move to senior living community is for the peace of mind of on-site health care services, therefore touring the health care facility is a must in your research. When touring the health care center, pay attention to how the residents are being treated by the staff. Take a look at the activity calendar and the menu. Observe if the facility appears clean and fresh. If possible, speak with family members to see if their loved one is receiving quality care. Most states conduct annual inspections. Ask to see the inspections reports for the last couple of years.
7). Sample activities and dining. As part of your research, it is important to sample the lifestyle of the senior housing community you are considering. Take a look at their activity calendar to see if there program that interest you. Maybe there is an exercise class you can join in on. Maybe you are join a bridge group to see if the other residents are similar to you. It is also a good idea to have dinner at the community. You might be offered lunch, however dinner is where you will meet the majority of residents. The more can get a feel of the lifestyle of the community, the better you will be able to determine if this is the right community for you. Your transition will also be much easier since you will already know some people when you move in.
8). Understand the pricing structure. It is important that you fully understand the pricing structure of the senior housing community you are considering. What are the refund provisions? What is extra? Is future care included or do you pay extra for it? What has been the history of rate increases? It is also important to understand how financial stable this senior living community is? The last thing you want to do is move to a place and later find out that this community is having some financial challenges.
9). Look beyond the glossy brochure. You receive a beautiful brochure in the mail and you think you’ve found nirvana. Everyone looks so youthful and happy in the photos. The community is clean and immaculate. Unfortunately, these are paid models in the photos and the community photos are staged. Yes, its a good starting point, however there is much more to your research than the brochure.
10). Make an educated decision. Utilize the resources you have to help you make an educated decision. Consult with a senior housing advisor to gain valuable insight into the senior communities you are considering. Ask questions and find a community that fits your lifestyle. Take your time, but don’t wait too long.
Am I’m ready to consider a move to a retirement community?
Determining the time frame of when you may want to consider moving to a retirement community is a very complicated decision process. Many people wait for a crisis to occur before considering such a move; while others plan ahead and move before something happens.
So when is the right time?
As we say in this business, it is always better to be 5 years to early than 5 minutes to late. Planning for your tomorrows today is some I am constantly sharing with my clients, No one is invincible and unfortunately, waiting for something to occur before you have a plan in place is not a smart move.
So why should you consider a retirement community now versus later?
Many (if not all) of the folks that I have helped move to a retirement community all told me prior to their move that they are not ready. It is a mantra that I hear in my sleep. “I love where we live and I don’t see any need to do anything right now.” “We’re just not ready.”
What is interesting that if you speak with these folks today, 99.9% of them will tell you that it was the best decision they ever made, they only wished they would have made it sooner. So, here are intelligent and successful people all saying the same thing… we wish we would have done it sooner.”
So when it the right time?
Unfortunately, there is not an easy answer. In my opinion, there are different time frames to consider. When do you want to start your research, when do you see yourself narrowing down your choices and when do you want to move? By doing your research early, you may find that the community you are considering has a long waiting list or is planning to expand. Getting your name on list is many cases is a positive first step.
If you have a long term plan to move, try to figure out what needs to occur between now and this fictitious date in the future to make you ready. Trust me, you are not going to wake up 5 years from now and all of sudden be ready to move. It does take planning, however procrastination is a form of denial, which creates its own problems.
A the root of the timing question is the misconception that retirement communities are nursing homes and by moving to a retirement community, you are losing your independence. Retirement communities offer a wide spectrum of services and amenities, including dining, social activities, fitness & wellness programs and residents are able to keep active and healthy longer.
We do meet people who, through their own stubbornness, elect to “stick it out” in their own homes. This then creates a tremendous burden on their family and friends. There is also a great deal of loneliness and isolation that occurs and well as a level of vulnerability to abuse from outsiders. Access to services is very limited, plus simple chores like driving to the grocery store or picking up your prescription medication becomes a major challenge. Maybe these won’t happen to you, but this needs to be factored into the equation. What is important to consider is your life, not only today, but tomorrow as well. Try to look into a crystal ball and image what your life will be like a year from now… five years from now. This may be difficult to for you to do, but it will help you plan ahead. Denial doesn’t make it any easier either. It is important that you are realistic and that you thoroughly think through this process.
An important factor to consider when determining if you are ‘ready or not” is that some retirement communities will have a medical acceptance criteria to be considered for residency. People who wait for a crisis to occur are frequently denied residency.
Today, retirement communities are more like luxury resorts than an old folk’s home. Moving does take physical and emotional energy so it is much better to move while you are healthy and active so you can enjoy all the amenities of the community.
Bottom line… don’t wait for something to occur. Plan for your tomorrows today!
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC) provides support, technical assistance and training to the 53 State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs and their statewide networks of almost 600 regional (local) programs. The Center’s objectives are to enhance the skills, knowledge, and management capacity of the State programs to enable them to handle residents’ complaints and represent resident interests (individual and systemic advocacy). Funded by the Administration on Aging(AoA), the Center is operated by Consumer Voice, The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, in cooperation with the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD)
Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints. However, unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns, these matters are kept confidential. Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system.
The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA). The network has 8,813 volunteers certified to handle complaints and 1,167 paid staff. Most state ombudsman programs are housed in their State Unit on Aging. Nationally, in 2011 the ombudsman program investigated over 200,463 complaints on behalf of 131,078 individuals and provided information on long-term care to another 288,698 people.
Address:
NORC
1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 425
Washington, DC 20036
12 new Memory Care facilities expected to open in our area.
Can the demand handle the supply?
By 2025, an estimated 18,508 Alzheimer’s cases projected in Collier County and 29,992 cases expected in Lee County of full time residents. Source – Catherine Cruisksank, Alzheimer’s Association.
Bruce B. Rosenblatt, a national senior housing expert and owner of Senior Housing Solutions has done a review of the new memory care facilities that are either opening or are projected to open. “The market is being saturated right now, which does provide many choices for the consumer, however finding and retaining quality staff, especially with so many new facilities entering the market place will present challenge that unfortunately will impact the care that is provided, states Rosenblatt. “It is important to find a facility that has a proven track record.”
The new facilities opening in our area are:
Brand New:
Discovery Village
The Villas at Terracina Grand
American House in Bonita Springs
Opening Soon:
Bay Shore
Beach House of Naples
All Seasons of Naples
American House at Coconut Point
Arlington Memory Care
Autumn House (Bonita Springs)
The Carlisle of Naples
Mooring Park at Grey Oaks Memory Care (2017)
Recently Renovated:
Memory Care of Naples
Moorings Park
In addition, there 10 existing memory care facilities that are already opened.
According to Rosenblatt, it is important for the consumer to be aware of the differences between each of these facilities since there are major differences in the pricing, physical layout, lifestyle enrichment programs, licensure capabilities and staffing requirements. Senior Housing Solutions provides valuable advice to people who are researching facilities. www.seniorhousingsolutions.net
