Older adults today have many wonderful senior living options. Modern senior living providers understand the importance of personalized care and a well-rounded lifestyle, with services and amenities beyond basic aging-related care.
It can be overwhelming to find the best senior living options for yourself or a loved one. And since there are many options to choose from, you might not know where to start or the questions you should ask. To aid in your search for just the right senior living community, we’ve gathered six practical steps.
1. Determine the Care Level You Need.
Independent living communities offer active seniors a wide range of lifestyle choices, as do assisted living communities and memory care communities. The types of communities and amenities available within each level of care vary. To narrow down your search, it’s important to understand which type of care best fits your circumstance. At The Overlook, a full continuum of care is available to you, with all the social and wellness benefits of living in a senior living community.
2. Decide on a Price Point.
Depending on the type of community, senior living homes can range in pricing, services and amenities. Setting a realistic price point that’s based on your budget will help you avoid frustration and disappointment in the future. In most cases, veterans benefits can be used to pay for senior living. And any Mason receives an additional discount.
To pay for senior living, review all your financial assets, which may include:
Long-term care insurance
Social Security income
Retirement income, such as pensions or annuities
Selling or leveraging real estate assets
The leverage or sale of other assets
Life insurance policies
Family contributions
Medicare and Medicaid
Local government programs
3. Do Online Research About Communities Near You.
Once you know the level of care you’re looking for – and after you’ve done some initial bookkeeping – it’s time to sit down with your favorite search engine and look for senior living communities near you. Make a list of those that meet your criteria, and make arrangements to schedule tours at their respective locations.
4. Tour Your Top Choices.
Though senior living communities can easily be found online, visiting them is the best way to really get to know them. Go to a community to experience the atmosphere, try the amenities, taste the food, meet the staff and residents, and imagine yourself living there. You might think about attending an event to get to know the communities you like best.
5. Ask the Right Questions.
A virtual live tour or a visit to a community will give you the opportunity to get the information you need. Before, during and after visits, make observations of your own and talk with members of the community’s team. There’s a handy list of questions, broken down by category, right here.
6. Select the Best Senior Living Option.
After touring a community – maybe several – it’s time to make a decision. Once you’ve toured the properties, you might have a gut feeling about which one is the best fit for you. Make your decision based on what’s most important to you for your lifestyle and wellness goals in retirement. Are you an exerciser? A community that offers a variety of fitness classes is certainly the best choice for you. At The Overlook, the Fitness Center is available to area seniors for membership, providing a great way for people interested to get a glimpse at daily community life.
The Overlook: Your Future Looks Great from Here.
Our mission at The Overlook is to help older adults live their best lives.
How To Choose the Right Senior Living Community in 6 Steps
Older adults today have many wonderful senior living options. Modern senior living providers understand the importance of personalized care and a well-rounded lifestyle, with services and amenities beyond basic aging-related care.
It can be overwhelming to find the best senior living options for yourself or a loved one. And since there are many options to choose from, you might not know where to start or the questions you should ask. To aid in your search for just the right senior living community, we’ve gathered six practical steps.
1. Determine the Care Level You Need.
Independent living communities offer active seniors a wide range of lifestyle choices, as do assisted living communities and memory care communities. The types of communities and amenities available within each level of care vary. To narrow down your search, it’s important to understand which type of care best fits your circumstance. At The Overlook, a full continuum of care is available to you, with all the social and wellness benefits of living in a senior living community.
2. Decide on a Price Point.
Depending on the type of community, senior living homes can range in pricing, services and amenities. Setting a realistic price point that’s based on your budget will help you avoid frustration and disappointment in the future. In most cases, veterans benefits can be used to pay for senior living. And any Mason receives an additional discount.
To pay for senior living, review all your financial assets, which may include:
3. Do Online Research About Communities Near You.
Once you know the level of care you’re looking for – and after you’ve done some initial bookkeeping – it’s time to sit down with your favorite search engine and look for senior living communities near you. Make a list of those that meet your criteria, and make arrangements to schedule tours at their respective locations.
4. Tour Your Top Choices.
Though senior living communities can easily be found online, visiting them is the best way to really get to know them. Go to a community to experience the atmosphere, try the amenities, taste the food, meet the staff and residents, and imagine yourself living there. You might think about attending an event to get to know the communities you like best.
5. Ask the Right Questions.
A virtual live tour or a visit to a community will give you the opportunity to get the information you need. Before, during and after visits, make observations of your own and talk with members of the community’s team. There’s a handy list of questions, broken down by category, right here.
6. Select the Best Senior Living Option.
After touring a community – maybe several – it’s time to make a decision. Once you’ve toured the properties, you might have a gut feeling about which one is the best fit for you. Make your decision based on what’s most important to you for your lifestyle and wellness goals in retirement. Are you an exerciser? A community that offers a variety of fitness classes is certainly the best choice for you. At The Overlook, the Fitness Center is available to area seniors for membership, providing a great way for people interested to get a glimpse at daily community life.
The Overlook: Your Future Looks Great from Here.
Our mission at The Overlook is to help older adults live their best lives.
With a one-time entrance fee and a monthly service fee, The Overlook provides an integrated continuum of care that begins with residence in an independent living setting. As a LifeCare community, The Overlook care levels include enhanced living, skilled nursing care, memory care assisted living and short-term rehabilitation.
Contact us to book a tour and get to know the continuum of care, services and amenities that residents enjoy every day.