If you are getting older and are tired of maintaining your house and have decided it is time to downsize and move to a retirement community, then take each of these important tips into consideration when shopping for the right location:
Tip: Schedule a Tour with as Many Retirement Communities as Possible
When you start looking for a retirement community, it is very important for you to tour as many different locations as possible. Even areas you don't plan to live in are still good to tour in order to ask questions to staff and residents. The more information you can gather, the better decision you can make when the time comes to select your new home.
Tip: Decide How Important Social and Recreational Opportunities Are to You
Various different retirement communities have different levels of social and recreational opportunities for their residents. When searching for your next home, make sure you think about how important these things are to you and work to find a community that matches your desires.
Tip: Obtain a Fee Schedule and Talk to the Staff and Other Residents About Additional Costs of Living in the Community
As you tour all of the different retirement communities, ask for a copy of their fee schedules. When you have toured a few places, then you can compare the fees against each other. Also, while onsite, ask the other residents what additional costs they have incurred such as those for internet service, utilities, laundry service, etc...
Tip: Consider Your Future Health Needs when Selecting a Retirement Community
While you may currently be in good health and prefer not to think about declining health as you age, now is the time you really do need to consider your future medical needs. For example, if you develop dementia or a serious medical condition, will you be required to move out of the community or do they offer accommodations for these situations?
Tip: Check to Make Sure the Retirement Community is Accredited by the CARF Organization
Finally, when looking at retirement communities, you can be assured a community is a good one if they are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). You can check to see if a community is accredited on their website here. If you tour a retirement community and discover they are not accredited by the CARF, you should keep looking for one that is.
Share5 September 2018
When your parents, grandparents, or other loved ones need a bit of extra help, you want to ensure that they are getting the best care possible. That means you need to help them pick out the right nursing home or assisted living facility. On top of that, you need to understand other elements of elder care such as living wills, healthcare directives, power of attorneys, and related elements. This blog takes you through all of it. Just as your parents probably referred to a book once in a while to get tips on how to care for you when you were a baby, you may need some tips and guidance to take care of them. This blog is designed to fill that role.