Assisted living facilities vary greatly in terms of cost, services offered, types of homes available to residents, location, climate, and more. It’s easy to see how looking for the right assisted living facility can be overwhelming. However, there are a few things that one should look for in every assisted living facility before choosing one.
- Licensure. An assisted living facility should be licensed by the state’s designated licensing board. Licensure ensures that the facility is clean, up-to-code, has properly trained and licensed staff, and emergency plans (such as for a fire) in place.
- Culture. For many, an assisted living facility does not just become home, but it is also often the final resting place of aging seniors. That’s why it’s really important that before deciding on a facility, that the culture of the facility is vetted. For example, for some seniors, they will be most comfortable in a religious environment, and would benefit from faith-based assisted living facilities. Other facilities, such as assisted living in Orlando, work hard to create cultures centered around well-being and happiness.
- Emergency Plans. Finally, before choosing a facility, it’s important to look for solidified plans they have in the case of a medical emergency of your loved one, and non-medical emergencies. Does every room have an emergency call button? How does staff contact family in the case of an emergency? For non-medical emergencies such as a fire or hurricane, does the staff have a safety plan in place that they have practiced? Knowing the emergency plans of a facility are very important to the decision-making process.
