Talking with your parents about the transition to assisted living is one of the most difficult conversations we’ll face in our lives.

When faced with this new era in your life, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You want to make the right decision, but how do you know what’s best for your loved ones?

This is why it’s important to take the time to do research and find the perfect community to make the transition as easy as possible. We’ve put together this guide that’ll help you through every step of the process. With our help, you’ll have no trouble finding the best new home for your parents!

24-Hour Assistance

One of the most vital parts of any assisted living community is the availability of professional caregivers. You want to rest assured that your loved ones will always have the right care available for them at any time of the day or night.

The move to assisted living centers around the fact that your loved ones will need extra care from time to time. This doesn’t work if there is no assistance available.

This should include both regular assistance as well as medical assistance. You want to know that the place will have everything it needs to help your loved ones no matter what happens.

Before giving any residential area a chance, make sure they offer 24-hour assistance every day of the year. If they don’t offer a good amount of around-the-clock assistance, then it’s time to look for other places that’ll suit you better!

Check for Specific Care Needs

Does your loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia? Do they need special care that you’re no longer able to give to them?

When it comes to assisted living for elderly people, these are concerns that you’ll need to keep in mind when choosing the right community.

Dealing with the struggles of these memory diseases is never an easy task for anyone involved. It’s difficult for the family members but it’s also difficult for the afflicted. The problem is that it’s common for frustration to take root when you’re not trained to deal with these situations.

It’s the same for any community caregiver who’s not trained to help with memory care.

That’s where the right assisted community comes in as the hero you need. Make sure to look for these specific qualifications before you settle on a community. It’ll make the transition much better for you and your family!

Take a Tour

There is a lot you can tell about an assisted living community by taking an in-person tour. Often it’s easy to tell from the first few minutes whether or not you and your family feel comfortable inside the building.

You’ll get to see the layout of the building, the spacing of the rooms, the outdoor areas, and the dining room. You’ll get a feel for the overall atmosphere and demeanor of the other residents. You’ll get to see the cleanliness and organization of the entire place as well.

It’s also a great way to lower stress for your loved one before making the full transition to an elderly living community.

Since they’ve already been there before, it won’t feel as jarring to move into the area. It’s a great way to help new residents feel good about the move in general.

Meet the Staff

While you go on your tour, make sure to take the time to meet the staff as well. Chat with them and learn about the different ways they care for their residents.

Make sure to keep an eye on other interactions going on around you as well. This gives you an excellent idea as to the friendliness of the staff and gives you an idea of how they speak to the residents on a regular basis. 

Since the staff is such a large part of an assisted community, it’s vital that you feel comfortable leaving your loved one in their hands. It’s important that your loved one feels comfortable as well.

After you’re done with the tour, it’s a good idea to talk through the experience. Make sure everyone knows to be honest so that you can narrow down your choices for the perfect assisted community.

Amenities

Do you know if the caregivers will clean the rooms and do laundry? Are the residents meant to care for these things?

Knowing the answers to these questions can help you make the right decision, depending on how independent your loved one wants to be. Some elderly people love to keep their independence as much as possible. Others might need extra help to accomplish these day-to-day routines.

Understanding what amenities come with residency makes it easier for you to find the right community for all of your loved one’s needs!

Activities

It’s not enough for a community to offer a nice building and staff for its residents. You’ll want to take a look at the kinds of activities they offer as well.

A living space without proper interaction or stimulation leads to depression and stress. It won’t take long for your loved one to feel as though they’ve been left somewhere forgotten and alone.

This is why it’s so important that the place feels like a real community. One of the best ways to make the community feel like a real home is to make it interactive. Residents should have ample opportunity to do a wide variety of different things that keep them interested and content with their new life.

Don’t neglect to check what activities are available at all times, as well as any holiday activities that may come up throughout the year.

Dining Options

Do you know about the dining accommodations in the community? Do you know what a typical meal looks like for the residents?

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the menu of the community. This lets you see what kind of things your loved one can expect to eat in their new home.

Make sure to check with the staff if your loved one has any specific dietary needs. Most caregivers are good at making adjustments, but sometimes it’s not a part of their care package.

Don’t forget to check out the general nutritional aspect of the meals, but it’s also good to check for frequent treats. A healthy lifestyle isn’t as fun without a few treats to break up the monotony!

Read Online Reviews

Sometimes a tour of the area and talking with the staff doesn’t give you a thorough overview of the community. This is where reading about other people’s experiences is an invaluable resource.

You’ll get to hear from many different people and how they feel about the community as a whole. These reviews may even give you information about things you didn’t think to question.

Another good way to get some insight is to talk to other families about their time with the community. Candid thoughts about how things work in the assisted community will give you far more information than a lot of other tasks.

Comfortable Living Spaces

Before you choose one community over the other, you’ll need to take a look at the living spaces. This is one of the most important areas because it’s your loved one’s new home. This space is their sanctuary and it should feel that way at all times.

It’s good to get a feel for the layout and size of the living space. This depends a lot on your loved one’s preferences. Something too small can feel cramped but something too big can feel lonely.

Looking for a pet-friendly space also plays a key part in creating a seamless transition. If a resident has a beloved pet, it’s much harder to move into a community when asked to leave that pet behind. Instead of forcing the issue, it’s best to look for the type of community that accommodates all parts of a resident’s life.

Ask your parent about what kind of space they envision as their new home, and that’ll give you a good idea of how to proceed.

Transportation Services

Having the capability to go to different places helps residents feel like they have more agency in their lives. That’s why transportation services are great for any assisted community.

If you want your loved one to have easy access to transportation, then make sure you make that a priority in your search for a community. Otherwise, you might need to add transportation to your schedule from time to time.

It’s better to find the right balance with these tasks to keep everyone happy!

Finding the Right Assisted Living Community for Your Parents Takes Time

It takes time and perseverance to find the right living accommodations for your parents. The main thing to keep in mind is that your desire to give your loved ones the best care shines through all of the stress of the situation.

Keep this guide handy so that you can go through all of your options with the right knowledge and a clear head!

Are you on the lookout for the perfect assisted living community? Take a tour with us and see for yourself how much we’d love to help you and your family!