Finding the best assisted living community for your elderly loved one requires a lot of research, legwork, and discussion. Anyone who has explored assisted living in Boynton Beach knows that it’s not a choice to be taken lightly. Families and seniors usually tour potential assisted living facilities before making the decision. If you plan to tour potential communities, here are six tips you can use to maximize your visit.
1. Take formal tours, but also walk around on your own.
Attending a formal tour informs you of the services and amenities the facility offers. Often, the tour is facilitated by a staff member who can answer any questions and give you all of the important details. But if you want to see what the assisted community truly feels like, walk around the facility unchaperoned. You can visit the cafeteria, walk down the halls, or talk to the staff. This will give you a better idea about what your loved one will really experience, without the staff around.
2. Share a meal with the residents.
Food is one important criteria when it comes to choosing an assisted living facility. The best way to know about the quality of the food the facility serves is to share a meal with the residents. Some assisted living facilities encourage people to dine with them, but in most cases, you’d have to ask. By sitting at the tables with other residents, you will get the real experience of what your loved one will eat every day.
3. Talk to the residents.
Senior residents will love to talk to you, and they’re definitely more than willing to answer some questions you may have in mind. According to AARP, here are the following questions you can ask the residents to give you some better information about the facility:
- Are the caregivers friendly?
- Is the staff attentive without being nosy?
- Do you like living here?
- How long have you lived here?
- What are your activities during the day?
- Are the services worth the cost?
4. Ask about security measures.
As you tour the facility, make sure to see if it’s safe enough for seniors. Are there grab bars in the bathroom? How often is the nurse available? Are the floors nonslip? How do they manage the resident’s medications? Additionally, you might also want to ask how the facility handles certain medical emergencies, or about the night shift hours for staff members. Since the seniors are usually asleep at night, some facilities reduce the number of staff on duty.
5. Observe how the staff treat the seniors.
It’s very important to observe how the staff treats the seniors when they think no one is around. Do they talk to the senior differently? Does their demeanor change? How do they respond to the senior’s needs? By observing the staff that are in the background, interacting with other senior residents, you will get a better idea about how your loved one will be handled.
There are numerous factors to consider when choosing an assisted living community for your loved one. Among the assisted living facilities in Boynton Beach, Courtyard Gardens Senior Living offers state-of-the-art facilities to its residents. If you want to take a tour of their facility, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (561)317-8902.
