Lay of the Land: What to Ask on a Community Tour

The right senior living community can be a blessing to you or your loved one. It can provide a beautiful setting in which to enjoy one’s retirement while offering the appropriate level of care or support. However, the levels of quality, competence, and expertise between communities can vary. Making the transition to senior living is a major life decision, so it is important to equip yourself with as much knowledge and information as possible. After you have reviewed the potential options online, the best next step is to take a tour of the campus.

A tour is a great way to determine what life is really like in each community and narrow down your list of contenders. Not only can you see the layout and facilities for yourself, but you can also get a sense of things like the surrounding area and local scenery. What’s more, a tour provides a great opportunity to ask any additional questions you may have. This will help you learn more about your or your loved one’s potential new lifestyle, but it can also help you assess the knowledge and expertise of the people who work there.

Below are a few suggestions of questions you can ask when taking a tour.

“Do residents enjoy the local community?”
There is a common misconception that living in senior housing is a confining experience. The best senior living communities foster a healthy connection between their residents and surrounding communities. This includes the opportunity to visit nearby attractions, shop and dine at local businesses, and interact with people of other ages and walks of life. It is opportunities like these that help people truly flourish during their retirement. This is also a good time to ask about transportation. Many senior living providers offer transportation for medical appointments, but the best options will also offer facilitate transit for recreational off-campus outings. Be sure to ask if their vehicles are ADA certified.

“How do you accommodate changing levels of need?”
As a person ages, they are likely to experience changes in the level of day-to-day support they need to live happily and comfortably. Therefore, it is advisable to select a senior living option that offers multiple levels of lifestyle or care. For instance, someone at the independent living level may find that they could use assistance with daily tasks like medication management or grooming. This kind of care is generally found in an assisted living environment. When communities offer multiple care levels, this transition becomes much easier for the resident. Instead of once again uprooting their life to move to a new location, they can simply adjust their level of desired care in the comfort of the same community.

If you would like to learn more about a provider of senior living in Seattle offering multiple levels of service and care on a multigenerational campus, call CRISTA Senior Living today at (206) 546-7565 or contact us online.