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Assisted Living Checklist
The best advice is to locate and visit assisted living communities before a crisis. Meeting the staff, residents and often family members is one of the best ways to learn about the community. Every assisted living community is unique, but there are common questions to ask yourself and the community before, during, and after a visit. The checklist that follows will help you ask these questions and make an assessment for yourself and/or a loved one. Environment * As you arrive at the community, do you like its location and outward appearance? * As you enter the lobby and tour the community, is the décor attractive and homelike? * Do you receive a warm greeting from staff welcoming you to the community? * Does the executive director call residents by name and interact warmly with them as you tour the community? * Do residents socialize with each other and appear happy and comfortable? * Are you able to talk with residents about how they like the community and staff? * Do the residents seem to be appropriate housemates for you or your loved one? * Are staff members appropriately dressed, personable, and outgoing? * Do the staff members treat each other in a professional manner? * Are the staff members that you pass during your tour friendly to you? * Are visits with the resident welcome at any time? Physical Features * Is the community well-designed for your needs? * Is the floor plan easy to follow? * Are doorways, hallways, and rooms accommodating to wheelchairs and walkers? * Are elevators available for those unable to use stairways? * Are handrails available to aid in walking? * Are cupboards and shelves easy to reach? * Are floors of a non-skid material and carpets firm to ease walking? * Does the community have good natural and artificial lighting? * Is the community clean, free of odors, and appropriately heated/cooled? * Does the community have sprinklers, smoke detectors, and clearly marked exits? Needs Assessments, Residency Agreements, Costs & Finances * Is a consumer disclosure form available that discloses personal care and supportive services, all fees, as well as move-in and move-out provisions? What are the policies for refunds and transfers? * Is a residency agreement available for review before move-in? * Is there a written plan of care for each resident? How frequently is it reviewed and updated? * Does the community have a process for assessing a resident’s need for services, and are those needs addressed periodically? * Does this periodic assessment process include the resident, his or her family, and community staff, along with the resident’s physician? * Are there any government, private, or corporate programs available to help cover the cost of services to the resident? * Are additional services available if the resident’s needs change? * Are there different costs for various levels or categories of personal care? * Do billing, payment, and credit policies seem fair and reasonable? * Are residents required to purchase renters’ insurance for personal property in their apartments? * Is there a complaints process for dissatisfied residents? * Are the resident bill of rights posted or available for review? Medication & Health Care * Does the community have specific policies regarding storage of medication, assistance with medications, training and supervision of staff,...
read more5 Things to look for when Researching Senior Living Communities
Researching Senior Living Communities for you or a loved can be time consuming. Having worked in Senior Living Sales for 10 years, at 11 different Senior Living Communities, as well as serving as a Senior Living Advisor for over 4 years, I have gained knowledge on what one should look for when considering which option is best for them. Here are 5 things to assist in your search: Friendliness of staff and residents Do not base your decision off solely of your interaction with the sales person. If other staff introduces themselves to you it is a good indicator that they will be friendly when you live there. Staff and residents interacting with one another is a good indicator that there will be less turn-over, which equates to residents receiving more consistent care and better service. Also, resident’s interacting with each other signals that you will be warmly welcomed. Activities Look at the activity calendar before the tour. See if the activity(s) are being lead and how well attended they are. Are the types of activities you are interested in are on the calendar? Ask if you can recommend an activity or outing be added to the calendar. Meals Food choices, quality, nutrition and socialization will improve your overall health and well-being. Find out if meal times are scheduled, a window of time or all day to determine if it fits with your daily routine. Be sure to try a few meals in the communities you are considering to see how quickly the food is served, how residents interact during meal time as well as the overall presentation of the food, quality and variety on the menu. Resident Satisfaction If I were to recommend one thing to do before deciding on a community, it would be to speak with as many residents as possible. In speaking with the residents, you will find out more information than you would from speaking with staff. Keep in mind, there are some residents that, no matter how hard a community tries to please, will always be dissatisfied, which is why I recommend speaking with more than 5. Staffing Ratios Pay attention to how many caregivers you see during your tour. Ask how many caregivers, med-aides and nurses are on duty during each shift. Keep in mind, many communities base the number of care staff off of the acuity levels of the residents. Number of staff on duty is determined by the number of hours of caregiving needed to meet all the care needs of the residents. Lastly, is the care staff serving meals or are there separate dining wait staff serving food in the dining room. If I had a choice, I would prefer the person serving my food during mealtime wasn’t also assisting residents with showers and toileting. Researching and finding the best Senior Living Community for you or a loved one is a difficult decision and very time consuming. Senior One Source can provide you with local cost free, hassle free, worry free and search free information on which community best fits you or a loved ones needs. For Cost Free guidance and advice on Senior Living Communities contact your local Trusted Senior Living Advisor here. Article written by Kelley Rogers: Trusted Senior Living Advisor with Senior One...
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