{"id":827,"date":"2019-06-24T07:00:14","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=827"},"modified":"2019-08-13T16:07:07","modified_gmt":"2019-08-13T21:07:07","slug":"5-questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2019\/06\/5-questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Questions to Ask When Searching for Senior Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>5 Questions to Ask When Searching for Senior Care<\/h1>\n<p><strong>Last Updated:<\/strong>\u00a0June 24, 2019<\/p>\n<p>Is it time to consider finding a senior living community for your parent or senior loved one?<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-14231\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2019\/06\/questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care-350x184.jpg\" alt=\"5 Questions to Ask When Searching for Senior Care\" width=\"350\" height=\"184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2019\/06\/questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care-350x184.jpg 350w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2019\/06\/questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2019\/06\/questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/img.prod.aplaceformom.com\/main\/uploads\/sa-blog\/2019\/06\/questions-to-ask-when-searching-for-senior-care.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Beginning searching for senior care can feel daunting at first, so we&#8217;ve gathered five of the top questions you&#8217;ll need to ask as you connect with and tour your possible options:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Does the community have a good reputation?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Check out the online reviews for this community on sites like SeniorAdvisor.com.<\/strong>\u00a0Reading the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.SeniorAdvisor.com\"><span style=\"color: #a17db1;\">online reviews for senior living communities<\/span><\/a>\u00a0allows you to see what others&#8217; experiences have been like at any given community.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check the community&#8217;s licensing status.<\/strong>\u00a0A Place For Mom provides\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aplaceformom.com\/planning-and-advice\/senior-housing-101\/assisted-living-state-licensing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #a17db1;\">links to each state&#8217;s licensing website<\/span><\/a>\u00a0where you can check for current and past violations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get referrals from family and friends.<\/strong>\u00a0What, if anything, have they heard about this community? Have they placed a loved on there before? Would they recommend it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2. Are the environment and location right for your senior loved one?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cleanliness and upkeep.<\/strong>\u00a0What does it smell like? Besides the obvious places, do you see a lot of dust or dirt? How is the lighting? What about temperature? Observe the upkeep of the floors, ceilings, windows, and electrical fixtures &#8211; do they look clean and safe? Ask about housekeeping options.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location, location, location.<\/strong>\u00a0Is the community too far for family and friends to visit? Depending on your loved one&#8217;s age upon moving in, consider how long he or she may plan to live there. During their more active years, they\u2019ll go out and engage in the city or town in which the community is located \u2013 will your loved one be happy here?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Safety and security.<\/strong>\u00a0How secure is the building? How and when are doors locked? How can your loved one let someone know when they need help? Will your loved one be able to navigate easily between their room and common dining and activity areas? Are there common indoor and outdoor spaces for residents to enjoy themselves? Are these areas safe and secure, and designed for the elderly to get around without injury?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>3. Is your loved one eligible to live in this community?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Determine the aging and care restrictions that may affect your loved one&#8217;s eligibility.<\/strong>\u00a0Is there a minimum age for accepted residents? Are your loved one&#8217;s specific medical needs adequately addressed here?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make sure you understand how the pricing system works.<\/strong>\u00a0Is it all-inclusive? Make sure you understand what is and isn\u2019t included \u2013 for instance, therapy sessions, medication, transportation, meals, and more may or may not require additional fees. Determine what is covered by insurance, and what forms of payment the community can accept.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Move-out criteria.<\/strong>\u00a0Find out what type of notice is required if your loved one leaves. Additionally, what actions could be cause for eviction of your loved one?<\/li>\n<li><strong>What are the rules on grandchildren and pets?<\/strong>\u00a0Are they allowed to visit? If so, are there limitations on visiting hours? Can they spend the night? If your loved one has pets, can they move in, too? Are there any size or breed restrictions?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>4. What are your loved one\u2019s care needs?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ask about the staff.<\/strong>\u00a0Inquire into the training and licensing required for staff to be hired. Are there CNAs, doctors, nurses available or on call? What is the caregiver: resident ratio? How is medication distributed? How does staffing change at night?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Depending on your loved one\u2019s age and health, consider how long they will reside in this community.<\/strong>\u00a0It can be difficult for everyone when a move is required, so consider Aging in Place for a younger and healthier loved one. Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) that offer Aging in Place may be the best fit for an active loved one whose care needs may increase as they age.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Determine the type of care and housing option your loved one needs.<\/strong>\u00a0Is your loved one fairly independent, but looking to thrive in an environment with other active peers their age, with access to community amenities and a doctor on call? Independent living may be for them. On the other hand, if your loved one needs assistance with some daily activities such as eating or grooming, they may require assisted living. If your loved one has Alzheimer\u2019s, consider memory care. Finally, if finances are a limiting factor, you may need to look into senior apartments (for more independent seniors) or skilled nursing facilities in your area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>5. Will your senior loved one to fit in with the resident culture and lifestyle?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Assess resident demographics.<\/strong>\u00a0What is the average age of the residents? Are there mostly couples or single residents? If religion is important to your loved one, will they find like-minded individuals here? Are there enough men or women for your loved one to feel comfortable?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Besides care needs, consider other factors that contribute to your loved one&#8217;s overall satisfaction and quality of life.\u00a0<\/strong>Are residents well-groomed and happy? How do they interact with each other and with multiple levels of staff? Do you like the other residents? How about the staff? Are there clubs or activities that will interest your loved one?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get a feel for the resident culture.<\/strong>\u00a0Take a look at the activities program to see if they cater to a more or less active lifestyle and whether that lifestyle will work for your loved one. Ask if you can have a meal with some residents to see what the dining experience is like. Will your loved one \u201cclick\u201d with the other residents?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Meet with the caregivers and staff that would be interacting with your loved one, not just the marketing or sales team giving the tour.<\/strong>\u00a0How do they interact with the residents and with each other? Does your gut tell you that they would be kind and caring to your loved one while attending to their needs?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We hope this post eases the burden of getting started in your search for senior care. Let us know in the comments below if these questions helped you during your search!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>5 Questions to Ask When Searching for Senior Care Last Updated:\u00a0June 24, 2019 Is it time to consider finding a senior living community for your parent or senior loved one? Beginning searching for senior care can feel daunting at first, so we&#8217;ve gathered five of the top questions you&#8217;ll need to ask as you connect with and tour your possible [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,200,2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-827","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-assisted-living","8":"category-families-caregivers","9":"category-senior-living"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Questions to Ask When Searching for Senior Care<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is it time to consider searching for senior care? 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