Some Good Guidlines for Finding the Right Assisted Living Facility?

Answer 1

Assisted living facilities provide the opportunity for seniors who need help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) to be able to live independently. While they cannot live by themselves, residents in assisted living facilities do not require continuous care and may require help with taking their medications, dressing, laundry, eating, bathing and housekeeping.

One of the important decisions that some seniors may be required to make is that of choosing an assisted living facility. Involving family members in this decision is helpful to give you some perspectives. Once you have decided on a few facilities, you should visit them on different days and times, especially around the meal times, so that you can get a feel and impression of the place. Speaking with the staff and residents and observing interactions between both groups is important as well as taking note of the atmosphere, whether it is sociable and friendly.

Having guidelines or tips on questions to ask and information to get on the assisted living facility is critical so that you make an informed decision. Some areas that you should consider when selecting a facility include the:

•General condition and services such as size, appearance and cleanliness of facility, whether it meets local and state’s licensing requirements and asking to see the state’s inspection report.

•Requirements for admission, frequency of assessing residents’ needs and service plans, pet policy, visiting hours, restrictions for guests, nutrition and availability of special meals for dietary restrictions.

•Types and frequency of activities, availability of transportation, daily scheduling flexibility and exercise opportunities, special needs resources and availability of religious services.

•Monthly cost of the facility and items included in the cost, policies for payment, credit, refund and termination and types of housing and amenities available such as shared, individual rooms, kitchen, refrigerator, television and telephone in rooms.

•Safety of the facility, including rooms, lighting, fire alarms and extinguishers, access for special needs and handicapped, emergency response time and access to nearest hospital and pharmacy.

Overall, finding an assisted living facility for your love one is a big decision, however, armed with some good guidelines and a checklist will certainly help you in choosing the right one.