There are 28,900 assisted living centers in the United States, with a total of about 1,000,000 licensed beds. 16.5% of the U.S. population is 65 and older, so it’s safe to say that thousands of families probably bring up the transition to assisted living every day. Once you or your loved one has decided that moving to an assisted living is what’s best, you may wonder how to find the right fit for your lifestyle and needs. Here are the most important questions to ask when looking for assisted living.
10 Questions To Ask Assisted Living Facilities
Whether or not you and your loved one have come to a decision about assisted living, it’s never too early to prepare a list of questions to ask the older adult communities and specialized care centers in your area. These are ten important questions you should ask before settling on a community.
1. What is the caregiver-to-resident ratio?
When you or a loved one consider moving to an assisted living community, you need to feel confident that there will be enough staff to provide high-quality care for residents. That’s why it’s important to ask about the caregiver-to-resident ratio, in other words, how many residents does each caregiver look after?
While the number of staff compared to residents is usually regulated by each state, it can vary from place to place. The average is one caregiver to eight residents, but many older adults are now looking for a lower ratio of one to four or one to six. Remember that this can fluctuate from day to night as well, depending on the schedules of staff members.
Other factors impact the quality and level of care in a community, including how many registered nurses are on staff and what the organization’s work culture is like. Always find out how many medical personnel and health aids work on staff, and get information on the facility’s licensing. It’s best to visit a few different communities and meet the staff in person to get to know the people who will take care of you or your loved one.
2. How much staff turnover is there?
Sometimes it’s not possible to visit every community you want to. This is a great question to help you find out about work culture in assisted living communities.
High turnover rates could indicate poor management and lead to a lack of continuity of care. If there are many long-time employees, it’s a sign of a strong community that takes care of both caregivers and residents.
3. Are staff onsite 24/7?
It’s important to know what level of care is available during both day and night. Ask what kind of medical personnel are available overnight or who is on call should an emergency arise. This is even more important if your loved one is recovering from an injury or the sudden onset of an illness.
4. What are accommodations and amenities like?
Most facilities offer a wide variety of accommodation sizes and layouts. You can ask any of these questions to help you learn more about the available rooms:
- How much privacy do residents have?
- Are there single rooms?
- What personal items are residents allowed to bring?
- Can residents eat and keep food in their rooms?
- What are the visitation policies for family and friends?
Your new home should feel warm and welcoming with enough space for a comfortable bed and at least some personal items. Ask for photos of the layout with measurements to help you decide.
Beyond individual rooms, the community should offer a range of common spaces and amenities. You should find out what the dining areas are like and what types of entertainment spaces exist such as TVs and screening rooms for movie nights as well as game and activity rooms.
Some communities have high-end amenities such as swimming pools and tennis courts, but this may or may not rank high on your priorities. Having a nice garden and tended lawns with shade trees can make the environment very warm and welcoming.
5. What kind of activities do you offer?
One of the many benefits of assisted living communities is that they provide opportunities for social interaction and organized activities to keep residents engaged and moving. Ask about on-site programming to ensure you or your loved one will have meaningful activities to occupy their time.
Community programming should be varied and appropriate for the age and abilities of residents. If your loved one is living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, they can benefit from dedicated memory care programming such as listening to music, interacting with certain foods and smells, and light exercise.
6. How do you keep residents safe?
Safety is a central issue for older adults. Find out if the rooms and bathrooms have emergency alert buttons, safety rails, and other fall-prevention measures. Also, ask how the staff maintains security in and around the property. If your loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s, make sure to inquire about staff training related to residents wandering or getting lost.
7. Is transportation available?
Just because you live in an assisted living facility doesn’t mean you stop going out to see the city. Find out if the community provides a shuttle service to nearby shops, supermarkets, and churches and how often they take residents on trips to destinations such as the museum, aquarium, and more.
8. How does the community involve families?
Assisted living residents need to feel like they are still connected to friends and family. Get information on how community management keeps families involved. Are there special programs for family members and residents during the holidays? Are there weekly intergenerational activities to help older adults stay connected to the young people in their lives?
9. How does technology at the facility support caregivers and residents?
More and more assisted living communities are embracing technology to help support staff and residents. Smart devices and monitors can help staff detect when someone falls or when any part of the facility experiences a security issue. Ask what’s available at the facilities you’re considering.
Find out what types of personal devices most residents have, and ask about wifi and computers. Are staff members trained to help residents navigate technology? Some communities have dedicated online portals where residents and their family members can learn about weekly programming and upcoming policy changes.
10. How do you help new residents adjust?
The move from independent living to assisted living can be challenging. Ask how the community orients residents to the new environment. Do they have specific orientation programming to introduce new residents to the staff? How do the staff and management make the community feel like home?
If you or your loved one deal with mental health issues, you may want to inquire about what type of counseling services and support groups residents have access to. Transitioning to assisted living can be disorienting and emotional, especially for people who leave a home they lived in for many years. The more support the community offers, the better.
Tailor Your List of Questions To Ask When Looking for Assisted Living
These questions to ask when looking for assisted living are just a place to start. Depending on your or your loved one’s needs and goals, you can tailor your list of questions to address other topics such as memory care, acute rehab, and more. Assisted living should be about more than having your basic medical needs met. At Elder Care Alliance, we make quality of life the top priority and help our residents maintain dignity and a strong sense of holistic wellness. Contact one of our professionals today to discuss our living options and innovative approach to elder care.
