Selecting the Assisted Living Facility that’s right for you can be a daunting task. Everyone is different and has individual wants and needs.
Here are ten questions you should be sure to ask when meeting with a new assisted living facility:
1. What levels of care do you offer?
2. Do you accept Medicare or Medicaid?
3. Are there any restrictions on the type of patients you admit?
4. What is provided in the basic daily rate?
5. What services cost extra?
6. Is there a volunteer program and do you often have volunteers?
7. Will the facility accommodate all of your needs?
8. Is there housekeeping services?
9. How big are the rooms?
10.Will I be given my privacy?
In addition to questions that you should ask, here are a few things you should observe first hand while you’re visiting the facility:
1. Is there adequate staff? See if you can tell how long nurse call lights stay on, this is a big indicator to the type of care you will receive at the facility. Take a look at the patients and see if they look clean and well dressed like they are being taken care of. And observe if the staff members are kind and how they speak to residents.
2. Is the food any good? You don’t want to move in and find out you hate the food, so ask around, see what the current residents think. Does it look good? Is it served hot? How many choices will you have? Are residents offered snacks during the day?
3. Is there an activity program? Typically there are lots of activities to go around, but every facility is different so assume nothing! Ask if they have a full-time activity director on staff and ask to view a list of daily/weekly activities. Is there a community TV with good reception? If you see a lot of residents sitting around looking bored with nothing to do, this is NOT a good sign!
4. Don’t leave without seeing some of the rooms! You want to see what kind of space you potentially could be living in. Find out what kind of control you have over room temperature, how many electric fixtures are in the room and where are they located, and do you have a window?
Basically, visit the facility personally, observe as much as you can, and ask a lot of questions!! It may be a good idea to bring someone with you or a notebook to jot down important information to help you remember everything!
