Questions to Ask When Choosing an Assisted Living Community

Choosing an assisted living community for your mom or dad will be one of the most important decisions you make. There are several options available for senior care, the key is finding the right fit for your family. Assisted living communities offer a variety of benefits.

Before you begin the search, it is important to evaluate your loved one’s financial, physical, and lifestyle needs. Once you have narrowed your list to the assisted living communities you would like to tour, ask to talk to the care manager and caregivers to learn more about the community and the people.

Here are the top 10 questions you want to ask:

1. What is your staff-to-resident ratio?
2. What kind of experience and training does the staff have?
3. How many staff members are on duty overnight? Do you have a nurse on staff 24/7?
4. What types of residents and disabilities does your staff have experience with?
5. What types of apartments/rooms are available and what are the monthly costs?
6. What safety measures are in place to protect residents?
7. What services, programs and activities are available? (i.e. health and wellness programs, memory care activities, transportation services)
8. What are the overall costs and contract policies?
9. What services are included monthly fees and what services are considered additional?
10. If my loved one is away from the facility for an extended period of time, (in the hospital or temporarily in a nursing home) what fees continue to apply?

As you tour the community with the care manager, note if the community is well-maintained and feels inviting. Also, pay attention to how the staff and residents interact with each other, and try to gauge how they appear emotionally. Are they happy and comfortable, or do they seem on edge? These observations will give you more insight about the community and the well being of its residents.