Seniors Housing is About Making Positive Choices: Article #2

Making a List & Checking it Twice! - Needs

In making choices about which seniors accommodation suits you the best, one needs to do some preparation - it is much like making a shopping list of things you “want” and “need”. The distinction is important because there are certain things you absolutely need and other things which may be nice to have (wants) but you could live without them.

What falls into which camp is usually specific to each individual; however there are some items that definitely fall into the “need” category. Set up a rating guide for yourself. Make sure it has a numerical system (1 through to 10; 10 being great and 1 poor). As you visit one place and compare it to another, it is important to rate them - especially when trying to recall what you found and thought about the different establishments. Also, take pictures of the building and immediate area.

Needs:

Determine if the accommodation suits your physical and health circumstances; sometimes this includes one’s spouse.
Determine if the accommodation is licensed to provide the level of service and care consistent with your physical and medical circumstances.
Establish the reputation about the operations by asking if there are negative reports about the accommodation from government sources and if so, when and how they have been rectified.
It is important to see all the credentials/licenses of the business to ensure all their operational standards are current, and in good order.
Ensure there is a good evacuation plan in place, and ask about frequency of fire drills.
Establish where transportation routes are and how accessible services are to you to meet your needs. This is particularly important for medical services and needs.
Always ask what is included in the monthly rent, and what is not.
Carefully consider the size of the suite you are looking at to ensure your furnishings will be compatible with the size and orientation of the accommodation.
Walk the area between the suite and the front entrance to ensure it is conducive to your physical capabilities with or without assistance of walkers, wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
Ease of access to and egress from the building is important.
Look at visitor parking and the ability of visitors to access your accommodation.
Assess the cleanliness of the common areas and the state of repair of furnishings, fixtures and surfaces.
Food is very important, so ask for a menu for the week and month- ask about substitutions and changes, and about the ability to make meal choices and participation in choices.
Ask if there is a Resident’s Council, and get minutes from the meetings - this will tell you a lot about the resident issues and about the operations in a very general way.
Ask if there are any satisfaction surveys and get copies.
Ask for a brochure, floor plans, and information about programs and services.

Note: first impressions are usually very reliable - as you move from the street through the entrance to the interior and the common areas, be aware of and make mental notes about your feelings.

“Wants” will be dealt with in Article #3.

A series on Health Care & Aging- Contributing writers: Andrew Butler & Kathy Lamb