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How to Research Assisted Living Communities Checklist?
In little more than a decade, the number of assisted living communities across the United States has nearly tripled. Today, there are more than 28,000, and each offers its own unique care, recreation, and dining programs. The sheer volume of choices can make the thought of researching assisted living daunting and leave you unsure of where to start.
Who to Talk To
Some of the best sources of information when it comes to researching assisted living can be family members, friends, or medical professionals who have had experience working with assisted living communities.
Ask Your Friends and Family
Seek recommendations from people you trust. You know their sensibilities and they know yours. Ask your friends, your neighbors, and extended family if they’ve ever done research on the best assisted living communities — whether in your area or not — and inquire about how it turned out. Learn from their successes and mistakes. Maybe even talk to their loved ones who are living in a community.
- Was their loved one happy with the selection?
- Is there anything they wish they’d researched but didn’t?
- What advice do they have for you?
- Who helped them with their research?
- What information was difficult to find, and how did they find it?
- How did they compare their options?
Check with Your Doctor
Speak with your loved one’s physician. Have they recommended any assisted living communities to other patients? Or are any of their patients currently living in a community that they seem happy with? If your parent’s doctor has experience with assisted living, they will also be better equipped to judge a community’s level of preparedness for your loved one’s specific needs and for medical emergencies.
- Ask your loved one to sign the federal HIPAA form, which gives health care professionals permission to share medical information with you.
- Let your loved one’s physician that you’d like this to be a topic for discussion at the next appointment.
- Learn what the doctor’s thoughts are on local options.
- Ask for a list of communities they’d recommend specifically for your loved one.
In some cases, the physician’s nurse may be more familiar with assisted living options in the area and manage referrals for families. If your physician isn’t able to offer extensive information on the subject, the nurse likely will be able to do so. You know your family best, so take into consideration how your parent might respond and who your parent will likely respond best to.
Researching Your Options Online
Google receives over 63,000 searches per second on any given day, and there are more than 1,518,207,412 websites in the world. There is certainly no shortage of information online, but unfortunately, not all of that information is accurate or correct. Knowing how to navigate an online search can save you hours of confusion and wasted time.
Don't Google "Nursing Homes"
The best place to start your search is online — but you probably don’t want to search for “nursing homes near me.” That’s because “nursing home” isn’t a catchall term for senior living.
Senior living is a broad term, so if you’re unsure of the difference between assisted living communities and nursing homes, you’re not alone:
- Nursing homes offer 24-hour nursing care, which more so resembles a hospital setting. Designed for seniors who have complex medical conditions who need skilled nursing care, they’re primarily care facilities that also provide housing.
- Assisted living communities, on the other hand, offer apartment-style living, allowing residents to stay as independent as possible while also receiving personal care and support services as needed. Assisted living is primarily housing that provides some care.
If your loved one doesn’t require full-time licensed nursing care, a nursing home probably isn’t what you need and can be costly. Some common assisted living search phrases include:
- How to find the best assisted living communities
- Senior living communities near me
- Assisted living facilities
- Assisted living communities
- How to find a good assisted living community
- How to find the right assisted living community
Search the World Wide Web
Once you have a good sense of what to look for after talking to friends, family, and health care professionals, head to the World Wide Web to see which communities you’d like to add to your research list.
- Search the National Eldercare Locator by the U.S. Administration on Aging.
- Find aging resources in your area through your local Area Agency on Aging.
- Google “assisted living near me.”
Evaluate Each Community’s Website
To help narrow down your options, research the philosophy of care, amenities, features, and levels of care offered at each community.
- Are there pictures of residents and team members on the website?
- Do they offer helpful resources online for you to download?
- Is it easy to determine what makes the company different from other senior living providers?
- Are there helpful blog articles or testimonials on the website that allow you to understand why others may have chosen that particular community?
Look for Social Proof
Remember that the first few places that pop up in a search are likely based on geography alone, not their ratings. So, next you want to check out their reviews. Keep in mind, these are not verified sources. If you see a negative review or comment, read as many other comments as you can to see if any pattern develops in what reviewers are saying. If many of them mention the same high or low points, there may be some validity to it.
- Check out online reviews.
- Visit their Facebook pages.
Be Open to Researching Out-of-Town Options
Sometimes communities that interest you might be located near another sibling or in a neighboring town. While having your parent in an assisted living community right down the road might be incredibly convenient, it might not always offer the care your loved one needs or the programs that will interest and engage your parent. Here’s what you should look for online.
- Is the community close to shops, doctor’s offices, a pharmacy, and other important places?
- Does it offer transportation to these places?
- Is the location convenient for family and friends to visit?
- If the community is not in your town, are there hotels nearby for when you visit the area?
- Does the community allow overnight guests?
- Is the neighborhood generally considered safe, or is there a high crime rate?
Planning Next Steps
After talking with family and friends and researching options online, it’s time to start thinking about next steps.
Make Phone Calls
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, it’s time to start making some phone calls. It’s normal to want to ask pricing questions first. However, you should focus your initial conversation on getting to know what the community offers and if it is a community that provides the care your loved one will need, along with the activities that will interest your parent. Here are some key questions to ask when calling communities.
- What does a typical day look like?
- What does the dining program look like?
- What transportation services are offered?
- What do residents and families typically say about your community?
Stop by for a Tour or Two (or Three)
While you might not be searching for a community in the near future, visiting an assisted living community can offer you some valuable information that you can’t find online or by talking to friends or family who don’t have personal experience with the communities you are considering. Schedule some tours, and if your loved one is up to it, bring them with you for the visit. Be prepared with a list of questions you want to ask, and take a good look around on your tour. Look past the fancy decorating and notice the little things that point to a place filled with compassionate staff.
- Do the staff members know and address residents by name?
- Are people smiling?
- Are the plants well-cared-for?
- If you are visiting during a meal, is the aroma pleasant?
- Do the residents seem to like the food?
- Is there a posted, varied schedule of activities?
- Are there enough common areas, such as dens and living rooms?
- Is the community pet-friendly?
- Does it feel like home?
- Does it feel like a place where your loved one will fit in and be comfortable?
In many cases, once you have narrowed down your options to your top selections, it’s a good idea to visit the communities a second time — and maybe this time, unannounced. Pick a different time of day so you can see how it compares to the first visit.
Researching assisted living can be a big undertaking, but with the right support, information, and knowledge of how families find the best assisted living communities, you can make a decision you and your loved one are confident in.
