How To Choose The Right Senior Living Solution

How To Choose The Right Senior Living Solution

Most families don’t even know where to begin when looking for a new home for their loved one. Should they choose assisted living? A senior apartment? Nursing home? An adult family home? They may not have the time to do all the research and meet all the care providers. That’s where a senior living placement service comes in.

These service providers focus on just one thing: Finding the senior living solution that’s best for your loved one.

Who To Ask For Help

The first thing to look for is a certified, local senior advisor that offers free consultation services — not someone who is on the staff at one of the senior living facilities.

Most facilities have their own sales managers (often called “community relations directors”) who are specially trained to sell seniors on the benefits of living in their particular community. They will point out all the reasons why a senior should move into their facility over another. They will focus on amenities and apartment features, but that is only a small part of what you need to consider when making a major decision.

A Better Alternative

What is really needed, however, is an objective look at all of the options that are currently available in the Yakima area without a persuasive sales pitch or a special offer that could potentially influence you to make the wrong decision.

A good senior living placement service will meet you and your senior at their home to assess their care needs, housing preferences and financial resources, including possible VA benefits. Then, the service provider can help the family evaluate available communities, and provide you and your loved one with information you need to make such a crucial decision.

Other Things To Consider

Senior living placement advisors can also check for inspection violations. They’ll review the nursing and staffing ratios. They’ll compare types of communities, their locations, prices, and the amenities and social activities they offer.

Meals are another big component. A good placement service will taste the meals these communities offer, to get a true feel for what it would be like to live there.

There are many other things to consider over the long term. Will your senior need to relocate if they need advanced nursing care? And what about memory loss? Some facilities cannot accommodate those with dementia.

A quality placement service will get you those answers, as well as helping you find out what the future costs could be if your loved one needs help managing their medications, mobility assistance or special dietary needs.