If you have decided that it is the right time to locate a continuing care retirement community for you or a loved one, it might seem difficult to make an informed choice. If you go into the decision-making process without some clear goals in mind, you might make your choice based on the wrong reasons. When evaluating senior living, be sure to consider the quality of support services, team member experience, commitment to resident happiness, and more. For more guidance, read on to find our tips to best evaluate CCRCs and find the best for your needs.
Begin Your Search Online
Many continuing care retirement communities have an online presence, whether that be a website, social media, or both. Peruse their online channels to gain a basic understanding of their services and amenities, as well as their photo galleries to gain a glimpse into daily life for residents. Furthermore, read through all their online reviews – positive and negative – to see what other folks with similar needs to yours are saying.
Ask for Referrals
Word of mouth is an incredibly potent tool when it comes to exploring senior care communities. If you know of anyone who has gone through the same process, ask them if they have lived or know anyone who lived in a specific community. Those who have done this before understand how important the decision is and will usually be happy to share their experiences. Additionally, ask around with your physicians and other professional advisors for their recommendations.
Narrow the Search with Phone Calls
After these first two steps, you should have a pretty good foundation of communities to work with. Now, create a list of questions that you would like to ask each place before you give them a call. This way, you can enter into each conversation with full expectations of the information you’d like to glean. While talking, take detailed notes and observe the community representative you interact with. Did they listen with interest? Did they ask you questions to determine your needs?
Schedule a Tour: In-Person or Virtual
Taking a tour is one of the most important steps you can possibly take when deciding on a senior care community. Fortunately, given the circumstances of the pandemic, many facilities can accommodate either in-person tours or virtual tours. No matter if your tour is in-person or remote, take detailed notes of everything you learn. Pay especially close attention to resident and team interactions, how clean the community looks, and whether the residents seem happy and engaged. Ask yourself if this is a place where you or a loved one can be happy.
Weigh the Pros vs. the Cons
After doing all this, sit down and review all the notes you have taken during your phone calls and tours. Consider what you liked and weigh it against everything you did not like to gauge how well each community might meet your needs. After eliminating some candidates, it is a great idea to visit your finalists more than once. Ask your final choices if they offer a respite program, which offers prospective residents a chance to stay for a short period of time to experience the community for themselves.
Need help finding the perfect Florida continuing care retirement community? Discover Westminster Communities, where our residents live well and are happy with active senior living. We provide spectacular choices of stunning locations throughout Florida so that you or your loved one can find incredible assisted or independent living facilities close to home. Whether you’re looking for active living or need a little extra help in your day-to-day, we know you’ll find a delightful way forward with Westminster Communities of Florida.
