When searching for senior living options for yourself or a family member, you might be surprised to see the number of available options. While the communities of the past had a one-size-fits-all approach to senior care, today’s communities focus on well-rounded lifestyles and customized care. Finding the best senior living facility can be difficult, but these tips may make the process a little easier.

Choose the Right Level of Care

Senior care works on a scale that ranges from independent living for active people to assisted living, memory care, and much more. Within these care levels, various amenities and community types are available. When talking to a family advisor, take the time to ask a few questions to find the right type of care for yourself or a relative.

Consider the Potential Resident’s Needs

If Dad is tired of yard work or Mom doesn’t want to clean the house anymore, an independent living community might be a good choice. A senior who chooses an independent living community simply wants a low-maintenance lifestyle with the chance to enjoy new experiences. Orchard Park of Permian Basin offers that and so much more.

Think About Meals

If you or your family member would love to have meals served every day, or if there are times when cooking just isn’t an option, dining services will be a crucial consideration when choosing a senior living community. Does the facility have chefs and wait staff who prepare and serve meals, or are they served cafeteria-style? And, what if you want a midday snack or cup of coffee? These are vital considerations to make when choosing a senior community.

Set a Budget

Senior living options come at a variety of price points, from very affordable to expensive. To avoid disappointment and frustration, it’s important to set a realistic budget that’s based on your family’s available resources. An advisor can help here, too, and they’ll help you explore funding options such as:

  • VA benefits
  • Long-term care policies
  • Social Security
  • Retirement income like annuities and pensions
  • Sellable assets
  • Life insurance
  • Family donations
  • Medicaid and Medicare
  • Government programs

Let the experts at Orchard Park of Permian Basin help you find the right option for your family.

Create a Short List

Next, your advisor will help you find a community with the right amenities and care level at a reasonable price and in the right area. They’ll send it to you with a price list, pictures, and resident reviews. An advisor will also help you set up a time to tour senior living communities in your area.

Tour Your Choices

While it’s easy to find information about senior living spaces online, there’s no real substitute for an in-person tour. Residents and their families should see the community firsthand to check out the amenities, sample the atmosphere, try the food, and see what living there would be like. If you can’t visit a senior community in person, set up a virtual tour where you can ask questions of the staff.

Get a Sense of Community

What kind of opportunities for cultural enrichment, sightseeing, exercise, religious services, and entertainment does the community provide? This consideration is important, especially if you or your loved one may be moving from another area. Senior living communities shouldn’t be self-contained units. Instead, they should be extensions of the geographical areas that surround them.

Ask Important Questions

While doing a virtual or in-person tour, you’ll have a chance to get the information needed to make an informed decision. To help, your advisor will provide a checklist to use during the tour.

Choose the Best Senior Community

Finally, after visiting several senior living communities, it’s time for a decision. After your family has taken a few tours, you may have an idea of which community is the right option. If it’s hard to decide, though, think about what is most important to you and the person who will live there. Will the resident need frequent medical care? If so, choose a community that’s near their primary care physician’s office. Does a prospective resident lead an active lifestyle? Choose a senior community with a fitness center and outdoor spaces. Your family’s needs and those of the residents will determine the senior living facility selected.

Choose the Right Senior Living Community and Enjoy a Healthy and Happy Lifestyle

Choosing senior living options is a big decision that overwhelms many families. However, there are ways to simplify things without making sacrifices. By following these steps and working with an advisor, you’ll make the process easier and more manageable.