Preparing to Visit an Assisted Living Community

One of the most important steps in finding an assisted living community or residential care home in north Texas is the personal visit. We encourage the families we work with to visit each community they are seriously considering in person on several occasions (daytime, evening and weekend is a great combination!) before making their final decision.

Making time to tour a community and ask questions is an essential part of the process. It gives seniors and their adult children the opportunity to get a feel for the community’s culture and decide whether or not it is a good fit.

To help you make the most of your visit, we have pulled together some tips on what to look for during your visit and a list of questions to ask the staff.

Visiting an Assisted Living Community or Residential Care Home

Here are few tips on what to look for as you make your way through each community.

Physical Plant, Safety and Grounds of an Assisted Living Community

• Is the exterior clean and well taken care of? Are the grounds well maintained?
• Does the community have ample parking with good lighting for residents who still drive and wish to bring their car with them? Is visitor parking easily available?
• Are resident rooms in good condition with enough space for their belongings?
• Are common areas clean and odor-free?
• What kind of security does the community offer? Are exterior doors always locked? Is there a receptionist in the lobby to intercept visitors before they enter resident areas? Who can access the community?
• Are safety features in place, such as handrails in the hallways, sprinklers in the ceilings, grab bars in the bathrooms, and an emergency call system?

Resident Life at a Senior Living Community

• When you are touring, notice how tidy and well-cared for the residents appear. Are they dressed in clothing appropriate for the time of day and the season of the year?
• Does the staff interact with residents in positive and meaningful ways? Do they call residents by name?
• Are life-enrichment activities happening during your visit? Ask to see the resident activity calendar and check to see if scheduled activities are really taking place.
• Do staff members look you in the eye and offer a greeting or smile when you pass them?

Questions to Ask During a Visit to an Assisted Living Community

Next we move on to questions you should ask at each of the communities you visit. Some suggestions include:

• What is the average tenure of caregivers? Turnover is a big challenge for some communities and it can have an impact on the continuity of care your senior loved one receives.
• What is the caregiver to resident ratio? Does that number change in the evenings and on weekends?
• How does the company screen employees prior to hiring? Are they given background checks before they are hired?
• Does the company have its own training program so caregiver skills are continuously updated?
• What does the monthly fee include? What other recurring charges should you expect to be billed for each month?
• When the time comes and you or your senior loved one need more care, will you be required to move? Under what conditions would your aging loved one be required to move to a different type of care community?

Be sure to take this list with you when you and your senior loved one visit each of the communities you are considering. Also take paper and pencil to document your answers. While you might think you can remember the details, it is easy to get them confused when you are touring more than one or two communities.

Help Searching for Assisted Living in North Texas

If you are ready to begin the search for an assisted living community or a residential care home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we would be honored to help.

Our experienced team of senior care advisors can offer your family insight in to the local options and help you find one that best meets your needs. Contact us today to get started!

Senior Living Specialists is a free service for seniors and their families. We are compensated by a referral fee when a senior moves into a community or care home. Please call us today at 214-929-5055 to learn more.