Moving out of your home and into a senior living apartment can be a very positive experience, but it is also a major decision. You need to choose a senior living apartment that will meet your needs for comfort, medical care, amenities, and socialization. By taking your time to research options and carefully choosing a senior living apartment, you will help ensure you have made the right choice. Here are three tips for choosing a senior living apartment:
Narrow Down Your Criteria
Before you decide which senior living community is right for you, it's important to make a list of your most important criteria. For some seniors, on-site nursing care is important. If you are still in great health, however, that may be less important to you.
Instead, you may be looking for a senior living community that offers plenty of classes and opportunities to socialize with new friends. Other criteria to consider are the quality of food or luxury amenities like a movie theater, tennis court, or sauna.
Tour the Facilities in Person
While you will likely spend a lot of time perusing websites for various senior living communities, nothing will beat touring facilities in person. This will allow you to see how clean and well-maintained a community is as well as what your individual apartment's layout would be. In addition, you will likely get a chance to speak to staff members as well as current residents of the community. This can give you a much more accurate impression.
You may want to consider bringing along a trusted family member or friend on your senior living community tours. It can be very helpful to have a second opinion, and your loved one may notice additional details or think to ask questions that you missed.
Make a Financial Plan
Finally, it's important to choose a senior living apartment that fits within your budget. Be sure to get detailed pricing for any community you consider, including optional fees such as meal plans. Look into your health insurance benefits to see if they will cover part of the cost. If you own your home, you may choose to rent it out or sell it in order to ensure you can afford a high-quality senior living apartment.
Choosing a senior living apartment doesn't have to be overwhelming. Simply follow the tips in this blog post and you will be on your way to choosing the right senior living apartment for you.