Finding the right place for long-term care

When it comes to transitioning into a senior community, choosing a place can feel like a daunting task. There are so many things to look for and ask about, and it can be a big decision for the potential resident and their family.

After researching the different facilities offered in the area, the next step is to take a tour of the grounds to get a more personal feel of how life would be at your potential new home.

Cheryl Foster, with The Glen Retirement System, said not to be distracted by flashy appearance, but to pay attention to the personal levels of care.

“The first thing they need to look for is not always if the building is new and pretty, it’s about the staff,” she said. “The employees can make or break the facility.

You need to look for friendly staff, people that are smiling and staff that interact with someone who is coming in [to tour the facility]. If you have people who just pass you by, that’s not [a good sign] ... that’s not a very friendly place.”

Building type and accommodations are important as well, however.

“They need to know what kind of building they want; do they need a one story building, and two story building? That’s important because you don’t want someone who cannot ambulate well on the second floor.”

Something as simple as the decor can have a big impact, Foster said it’s important that the surroundings are pleasing to the potential resident so that they can always feel comfortable.

“Always make sure the facility is clean,” she said.

“And if there is someone who enjoys being outside then they need to make sure the community has pretty grounds. If they like to walk, make sure there are safe places to walk.”

Ask questions and make sure you know just what to ask.

“If you’re going to assisted living you need to ask what the resident to staff ratio is,” Foster said. “You probably need to observe the residents in that specific facility and make sure they are on the same physical or mental level that you are comfortable with. Some of the retirement communities have a younger population than others, so that is important to look into.”

“The food is extremely important. I suggest they come to have a meal at the facility so they can taste the food while also observing the other residents in the dining room, as well as the employees serving them,” she said. “Be sure to meet the management staff and always ask what activities are offered that suit your needs.”

At The Glen, tours take guests all around their facility including the dining room, library and the gift shop. They are also shown a model apartment.

“If [the model apartment] is not the size they want, we can call a resident to show them a different size. We have a studio that’s open floor plan, there are no walls that separate the living room from the bedroom, it’s an open studio, we have a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom twobath.”

Just as important as looking and asking for positive attributes, guests and potential residents should also be mindful of bad signs as well.

“Unkempt residents, if they look like they haven’t been cared for [is never a good sign],” Foster said. “Or a dining room that doesn’t have very many residents in there. If the grounds haven’t been kept up, or if you come in and there are no activities going on – but you could come in here and you may not see any activities because they could be on an outing so if you don’t see anything, so it’s important to ask.

“Another thing to watch out for is that if there is something you’re looking to do that you or your family member enjoys and the response is ‘no, we don’t do that here,’ if they’re unaccommodating that’s not good.”

When making the decision of a senior community to move to, information and research on features and services are key, but an intuitive feeling of safety and comfort are what will make it feel like home.

– Katie Ho

Insider tip:

Also consider the emergency response systems in a care facility, or in times that crucial care is needed. “Always ask about the safety features available,” Cheryl Foster, with the Glen retirement System, said. “We have sprinkler systems that are required in our assisted living program. Ask about their emergency plans in case of an emergency, if they have staff at night and how many there are and how many exits there are in the apartments.”