How to Decide on Senior Housing
It is easy to get confused with all of the options now available for seniors looking at where to spend there golden years. There are many things to consider when deciding what living option is best, but with some research and advance planning, moving to the right facility is a little easier.
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Instructions
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How to Decide on Senior Housing
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Discuss with the senior their desires for living accommodations well before they will need them. Write down what they say and review it with them. Renew the document every year so that you will be confident if a time comes that requires you to decide for them you are honoring their requests.
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Determine what the needs of the senior are before you make any changes. If they will need meals made for them, if they are mobile or shut-in are only a couple of the questions you need to answer. Think of everything you do daily from taking a shower to driving to the store, to visiting with friends and answer how they will be able to accomplish that where they live.
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Establish if they need a retirement community ranging from an independent living community to a nursing home.
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Make a checklist for evaluating the facilities you visit. The checklist should have your questions, a column for yes, a column for no, and a column for your comments. This will enable you to compare side by side the different homes you visit.Some questions or concerns you should include are:Is the home Medicare Certified?Is the home Medicaid Certified?License statusPast problems?What is the waiting period?Do they do staff background checks?Family visitation regulationsAmount of StaffIs it clean?Are the meals not only nutritious but edible as well?Fire safety and securityHandrails and physical therapy facilitiesSmellOther resident’s hygieneActivitiesStaff trainingPrivacy issueVisit each facility yourself or have a reasonable relative whose judgment you trust do a walkthrough for you.
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Talk to a doctor and get her suggestions on facilities for the senior. Have the senior assessed thoroughly so they are not put in a community that provides too much for them. The more reasonable independence the senior has the more alert and participatory the senior will be.Contact AARP and find out what information they have available. The organization is a great source for situations like this.
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