What to Look for When Choosing an Assisted Living Facility The decision to seek out an assisted living facility for loved ones is emotional and difficult. Once you and other family or friends are ready to start the search, you may find the task of identifying and evaluating the right choice overwhelming. How will you know when a facility is suitable for your loved one? How can you tell if it will be a safe and caring environment? Will it live up to its promise and provide exactly the kind of services needed? Here are some important tips that will make the process of searching, evaluating, and deciding a little easier. First Steps – Now That the Decision Is Made Once the decision is reached to move your relative or cherished friend to an assisted living facility, give some thought to the location or general area you prefer. Take into account the loved one’s personal preferences, and consider which supportive family members and friends will be nearby for regular visits. It is always helpful to let staff know that someone is in touch and will notice if care and attentiveness should slip. Ask a primary care physician or other medical staff to make recommendations, and seek out online sources like local government agencies who keep lists of approved facilities. 6 Ways to Evaluate Assisted Living Facilities Narrow down a list of facilities that fit your loved one’s budget, choosing a handful of the best locations and the right combination of services, amenities, and cost. Visit the facility several times, at different parts of the day or evening, to see how things are handled with different staff and different activities underway.1 Request a thorough walk-through and tour, and ask to see an occupied unit, as well as the units you will actually consider. 1. How clean is the environment? In many ways, a clean, well-maintained facility is the most important requirement. It indicates the level of attention paid to all other aspects of care, including the level of staffing. It is key to protecting the health of residents, as well as preserving their dignity. Look at cleanliness in rest rooms, hallways, and dining area, and be conscious of unpleasant smells, along with visual signs. 2. Are staff members professional and caring? These are the people you will rely on to take care of your loved one’s needs. They will interact with him or her on a daily basis, and they can make all the difference between a happy experience or a negative one. Find out specifically what personal care tasks are included. Observe how staff speak with you, and how they seem with current residents. Are they respectful, warm, and attentive? Is there adequate staffing at night? If they seem unduly rushed or short with people, this could be a sign of serious understaffing or poor training.
3. Are meals and food quality appealing and well managed? Most facilities will offer you a complimentary lunch or dinner in the dining room. Be sure to accept the offer—with any luck, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the delicious choices, and enjoy the convivial atmosphere. Check on alternatives for meal service, such as in-room trays. There may be limits on the number of times this option is available, and charges may be added for the service. Don’t forget to ask about accommodating any special dietary needs. 4. Is the social environment upbeat and inviting? Often, seniors living at home find themselves isolated, unable to connect with former social outlets. Friends may have passed on, and making new ones is nearly impossible. The pleasant surprise for the individual and for you will be opportunities to meet a wide variety of new people, form new friendships, and resume social activities they may have thought lost to them forever. Look at the schedules for social events, and check for a mix of choices that might suit your loved one. There should be a variety of music, entertainment, enrichment and educational options that allow comfortable interactions among the residents. The dining room is a good indicator of how well the social aspects are managed. Ask about attending the next social event or seasonal festivity for a better idea. Observe how the residents themselves interact. Do they appear relaxed and happy? Would your loved one enjoy getting to know some of them? Try chatting with some residents yourself to get a better idea. 5. How are medical and health issues handled? Assisted living facilities do not offer skilled medical or nursing care, but they do dispense prescriptions, attend to daily needs, and monitor the health status of each resident. Ask how staff are trained to handle prescriptions, how medication is stored, and how records are kept.1 Check to see if there is a reliable wireless nurse call service in place, and how medical emergencies are handled. You will need to know if your loved one may be disqualified from continuing to reside there if certain new health issues develop. Exercise classes offered by qualified providers and geared to differing levels of ability are important to help maintain physical and mental health.1 6. How well are residential units designed? Besides looking at basic comfort and aesthetic details in the unit—enough light and windows, space for furnishings, fresh paint, clean carpet—see how well bathrooms are equipped for safety concerns. There should be grab bars near toilets and in bath or shower, and bathing areas should be easily accessible for unsteady feet.2 Look for an emergency call button or pull cord, or other emergency call system. See if your loved one can easily move around within and between rooms, with plenty of space for a walker, if needed.
Ultimately, the most important factor in evaluating and choosing an assisted living facility will be your loved one’s own feeling about the place. They must have a sense of comfort and security, and know they will fit in while having their needs met. Making the change from independent to assisted living is daunting, even traumatic, for many elders. They are giving up a part of themselves and adapting to an all-new environment at a time of life when change is not welcome. However, they may be in for a pleasant surprise once the move is made. Personal care and daily living needs are now being met, eliminating a great deal of stress. New friends are adding value and interest to their lives, and they can look forward to each day with renewed hope.