Is this Specific Retirement Community Right for Me or My Loved One?

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Each person is unique and has unique preferences. It is important to closely examine personal preferences and how each person prioritizes features of the retirement center.

If you are an adult child, niece, nephew, cousin, extended family etc. caring for your aging loved one, ensure you really have a deep conversation with your loved one about their desires. Your aging parent, aunt, uncle or extended family will certainly be happier and more willing to make the move if they are involved in the decision making process.

Since working retirement centers for the past 6 years, I have noticed when someone says “my kids just put me here,” that person has much more difficulty adjusting to the retirement community.

See 3 Ways to Improve Communication and Relationships.

How to Prioritize

1. Do NOT be unrealistic and try to find the “perfect place.”
2. Think about the future and what you want in the future, not just right at this moment. If you or your loved one walks well now, socializing or how the facility looks may be most important, but take into account that accessibility may be more important in the future. So balance the now and the future when prioritizing.
3. Speak with someone. Aging Uniquely has attempted to give you lots of guidance and to being to light considerations that are frequently overlooked or not looked into with enough detail. Asking another person can be helpful when determining how to prioritize as well. Someone may initially like to close to the activities room, but upon speaking with the other resident near the activities room, she complains that it is too noisy as they frequently have choir practice there.

You want to choose what is the most important within these areas, then choose what is important within these areas.

• Cost and Value of Care
• Location
• Aesthetics (how the place looks)
• Accessibility
• Services Available
• Social and Leisure Opportunities

Now score the above areas from 1-6 with 1 being the most important and 6 being the least important. You may want to come back to this step and make adjustments after reading the information below as well.

Let’s look at each category more in-depth:

Cost and Value of Care

Depending on the situation, this could be someone’s number one concern even if it isn’t by their choosing. Retirement centers can be very expensive. It is necessary to complete a projected cost analysis of living at a private residence (seniors own home or family’s home) versus a retirement center.

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Just like anything else one buys, taking into account the value of what you are buying is just as important as the actual cost. For illustration purposes only (these are not real numbers):

Place A: For $4,000/ month for rent and utilities, you also receive meals, housekeeping, transportation, medication management, daily vitals assessment and showers and dressing (if desired).

Place B: $3,000/month for rent and utilities. Then you pay an extra $400 for meals, $100 for housekeeping, $300 for medication management and daily vitals and $1000 for dressing and bathing.

You really have to take into account what you need and what you may need in the future. This also depends on support systems. If a family member can come set up medications, assist with a shower a couple times a week and help out with some housekeeping, then you may not need those services.

Also note there are usually tiers or levels of service for helping with activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing. Additionally, many facilities have a few different meal plan options.

The quality of care should be taken into account as well, although this is difficult to do! Since working at retirement centers for several years, I commonly hear residents complain that the staff took too long or were rushed. It is difficult to truly gauge the kind of care you may receive without actually living there. However, you can ask how long the caregivers have been there to determine staff turnover, how long it takes to usually answer a call light and the resident to caregiver ratio to determine wait times.

Prioritize these Cost and Value of Care features by numbering them 1-6:

• All inclusive
• Pay per services
• Lifetime guarantee (someone can stay on the same campus throughout their lifetime, care is guaranteed *under certain circumstances. Refer to Questions to ask a Continuous Care Retirement Center (CCRC) for more detailed information.)
• Caregiver to resident ratio as this will affect the quality
• Meal options and quality of meals in relation to cost
• Frequency and quality of housekeeping and maintenance services

Now write down a couple Costs and ideas related to Value of Care you will absolutely not tolerate. Examples (these numbers are not real / for illustration only):

I will not tolerate rent, utilities and meals over $4000/month.

I will not tolerate a resident to caregiver ratio over 20:1.

Having specific aspects that are not negotiable or you are not willing to tolerate will help narrow your search as well. Remember to be realistic as well, no place is going to provided 1:1 care in retirement community situations.

Location

This not only refers to the physical location, but can also refer to the community.

See Location, Location, Location. Considerations when choosing a Location to Age in Place.

Prioritize these Location features by numbering them 1-6:

• Proximity to support systems (family, friends, community members, previous neighbors)
• Proximity to medial facilities (emergency rooms, family doctor, specialty doctor, eye doctor and audiologist or hearing doctor)
• Available transportation
• Likelihood of natural disasters
• Nearness to preferred leisure tasks (favorite restaurant, nature trails, theater, shopping, etc.)
• Weather

Now write down some items regarding Location you will not accept. Examples:

I will not live in an area that is cold most of the year.

I will not live further than 15 minutes from the nearest emergency room.

Aesthetics (how the place looks)

Aesthetics is just how the place looks or if the place is visually appealing. How important this is really varies from person to person. Some people come from nice homes and communities and want the same in their retirement home. People may want their friends or family that visit to know they are doing well even if they are living in assisted living. Others prefer to have good services and food and don’t really care about how the place looks.

Prioritize these Aesthetics features by numbering them 1-6:

• Outside of the building (maintained landscape, signage, presentable)
• Entrance (Fresh flowers, well decorated, looks inviting)
• Common areas and hallways (nicely decorated)
• Dining room (comfortable, clean and inviting)
• Personal room (nicely maintained, nice layout)
• Patios or balconies (maintained, good view)

Now write down some items regarding Aesthetics you will not accept. Examples:

I will not tolerate a room that does not have an open layout.

I will not tolerate a dining room that does not look clean.

Accessibility

This is many times overlooked in favor of other features of a retirement center. However, even if it is not important to someone now, it may be in the future.

Prioritize these Accessibility features by numbering them 1-6:

• Parking lots and outside areas (Are they cleared properly? Can you easily access the door by pulling up with a car? Are the sidewalks maintained? Is there a raised garden/accessible garden? Is there a place for pets?)
• Entrance ways (Do doors automatically open? Are there large thresholds?)
• Elevators and hallways (Are the hallways wide enough? Are elevators big enough and big enough to turn around a power wheelchair easily in needed in the future?)
• Laundry rooms and places to put trash (Can someone open the doors to access these rooms? Is there enough space in the laundry room?)
• General location of the room (Can someone safely escape? Can one easily get to meals and where activities are held?)

Now write down some items regarding Accessibility you will not accept. Examples:

I will not tolerate a room that I struggle to get into and out of every day because I cannot manage the door.

I will not tolerate a room so far from the dining room that it takes me 15 minutes to get to every meal.

Services Available

Each Continuous Care Retirement Center has a variety of services and different quality of services. When touring a facility and asking questions, please do not make assumptions that something is included- be sure to actually explicitly ask! Additionally, do not assume that just because a service is listed as available that it does not cost extra. Really ask about all the details related to the service or just ask the tour guide to elaborate on the service so there are no unwelcome surprises. For example, ask if there is a fee to have food delivered from the dining room. A standard meal plan may only cover if the person actually goes to the dining room.

Refer to Questions to ask a Continuous Care Retirement Center (CCRC) for more detailed questions to ask.

Prioritize these Services by numbering them 1-6:

• Meals
• Assistance with activities of daily living (medication management, bathing, dressing, toileting, etc.)
• Transportation (This may cost extra and be limited- ask questions)
• Housekeeping (This may occur only every other week. Ask if as-needed services are also available for accidental spilled items, etc.)
• Safety and medical attention (on-call guard, staff available to quickly respond to pull cards, *Nurse on duty that can assess* Sometimes this will be offered to assisted living residents, but not independent living residents, is there a doctor or nurse practitioner that regularly visits the facility)
• Maintenance (sometimes maintenance personnel will not repair personal walkers, dressers, shower chairs, etc. Ask detailed questions)

Now write down some items regarding Services you will not accept. Examples:

I cannot tolerate a place that does not have transportation reasonably readily available.

I cannot tolerate a place where a nurse is not available to assess me if I pull the emergency pull cord.

Social and Leisure Activities

A person needs to really reflect on what they enjoy and what activities are meaningful before choosing a retirement center. Each retirement center may have it’s own personality and it is important to make sure it is a good fit. Just because a place offers a lot of activities, does not necessarily mean that the person will like those specific activities or the person may find that making friends is difficult at that particular facility.

Prioritize these Social and Leisure Opportunities by numbering them 1-6:

• Outings (stores, museums, theater, parks, etc.)
• Exercise classes (chair yoga, Tai-Chi, dance-inspired movement, resistive exercise)
• Arts and Crafts (painting, pottery, holiday crafts)
• Games (bingo, mind games, corn hole, modified sports, etc)
• Music and theater offerings (movies, plays, bands coming into play, opportunities to play music)
• Ambassador programs / Outreach programs (facility has a social resident that takes new residents and introduces them to friends and activities or the activities director and staff reach out to promote participation in activities)

Now write down some items regarding Social and Leisure Opportunities you will not accept. Examples:

I will not tolerate a place that never offers outings.

I will not tolerate a place that doe snot allow me to have access to a piano.

Scoring:

The purpose of scoring is to direct questions. Add the number of the priority of the category and the number of the priority of the item within the caegory.

For example: If someone believes cost is the most important factor (1) and meal options are (3) within that category, then meals are rated 4. Ask the questions with lower numbers 1st as these are the priorities.

Take Away Points:

• Remember no place will be “perfect.”
• Really take time to reflect on what you or your loved one wants before touring senior living or retirement centers. This will help guide the MOST important questions to ask during the initial tour. Knowing what you want and making sure you understand the details about a specific senior living option will help you make a better financial decision and improve your quality of life.
• Make sure to ASK if something you or your loved one didn’t like can be negotiated. Senior living facilities or retirement communities WANT residents. So be sure to ask if the flooring can be changed, if a room in a different location is open, if he facility can help with making new friends, etc.

Aging Uniquely wishes you the best in finding the best Senior Living or Retirement option!

Please leave a comment on here, social media or email us for any questions you may have or topics you would like to be discussed in the future! We hope to assist you in any way that we can!

Related Posts:

Questions to Ask a Continuous Care Retirement Center (CCRC)

12 Traditional Senior Living Options

What is a Continuing Care Retirement Center (CCRC)

Be Proactive! Look for these 18 Signs Someone is Struggling

Transitions During Older Adulthood Presentation

Considerations when Choosing a Location to Age in Place

What is Community and Why it is Important for Older Adults

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By continuing with this site, you are agreeing that you acknowledge and understand this disclaimer in full and will not hold Aging Uniquely, parent companies or content creators liable for the information or use of information on this site because everyone ages uniquely and has unique needs. The content on Aging Uniquely sites is for general information purposes only and Aging Uniquely does not provide medical or health advice. It is not a substitute for medical or health professional advice and you should never ignore professional medical advice or delay seeking emergency care because of something you read on the Aging Uniquely website or social media platforms. If you are experiencing a medical emergency call 911 or seek emergency services. Aging Uniquely is not responsible for what may happen if you use their information in place of medical or professional advice. You are responsible for your own health and safety or how you apply this advice to adults/older adults you support. I highly recommend you consult the proper qualified medical or health profession before implementing any information from Aging Uniquely or other health related websites.