Our Monthly Tip: Choose the Right Assisted-Living Facility for Your Loved One

Choosing a clean, well-run and affordable assisted-living community for your loved one means focusing on their needs more than yours, according to Stephanie Howard, Residence Service Director with Regency of Evergreen Valley in San Jose. You’ll  need to get a good sense of what a number of communities are really like, not just what advertising reveals.

A thorough tour where questions are encouraged and well-answered is
more valuable than a volume of online information about a facility.
Credit: USDA

How-to Suggestions

1. Start online to research facilities near you or your loved one. Caring.com has a nationwide directory of assisted- living communities or you may be able to find facilities listed in the phone book or through word-of-mouth recommendations. The Departments of Health and Human Services for each state are also good resources for finding facilities. Over the phone, these questions provided by Caring.com will guide you through what you first need to find out.
2. Tour as many prospective assisted-living facilities as you can with this onsite checklist in hand, before bringing your loved one along. Online impressions can be deceiving. Elegant facilities with huge advertising budgets can be cold, dreary places, while older facilities with a little missing paint can be cheerful and happy. How you are greeted, how well your questions are answered, the ambiance of living areas and common areas, the quality of food, etc., should speak to your gut as well as your brain.
3. When you’ve narrowed the list, return with your loved one, if possible, so that they may experience what each community feels like in person. When you are finally down to a couple of contending facilities, the final follow-ups should get into the nitty-gritty of contracts, costs, care-plans, etc. — all covered in this take-along inventory. A pop-in visit can also be eye-opening.

Credit: USDA

No matter the level of care your loved one requires, finding the best suited assisted-living facility for them is a decision that will affect the quality of the rest of their lives. As Stephanie Howard reminds us,  it’s their journey — not ours. Knowing what to look for and ask can make the difference between enhancing or tarnishing their golden years.