How to Choose a Community Home to Live after Retirement?

Once the elderly loved ones at home decide to move to a retirement community-home, the most difficult task is to find a reliable place where they will be taken care of even better from that they received at home. There are many retirement community-homes in Los Angeles and choosing the best ones out of these requires conscientious planning. When you take a tour of different community-homes for the elderly.

Below are some of the factors you should look out for:

Location

The location of the community-home should not be very far from either your home or office. This is to make sure that in case of an emergency you can quickly go and meet your loved one. Check the neighbourhood and surrounding amenities as well. The people and facilities should be suitable for the elderly too to make their day-to-day life easy

Cleanliness and Upkeep

At home, the rooms, lawn, garden, roof, toilet etc.; everything is kept clean for hygiene and general wellness. The same should be the situation at the community-home. Check the upkeep of all the areas. Also, check the safety and security measures that are followed there. 

Food Quality and Nutrition

Freedom from deciding and preparing food thrice every day is one of the perks of living in a retirement community-home. That being said, it is important to ensure that the food being served at the community-home is prepared hygienically and has the required nutritional value.  If there’s a special kind of diet recommended for the prospective resident, make sure that kind of facility s available there.

Services

Check the list of services provided and those services which are provided at an extra cost. Services include laundry, house-keeping, daily assistance etc. It is better to try community homes which charge on per-service basis. Some community homes also provide services on an a la carte basis which is costlier than general services.

Facilities and Activities

A good retirement community-home makes sure that the residents make the most of their time being spent there. There are regular social activities, wellness programs and even counselling sessions if required. Take permission and attend one of these sessions so that you may know what kind of social life your loved one is going to enjoy. You should take them along to check whether the activities taking place at community-home interests them. Additionally, check the recreational activities and the facilities related to these. For example, gyms, pools, games-room, library etc. Also, check the quality of medical services being provided at the community-home.

Staff

During your tour, observe the behaviour of staff with the residents at the retirement community-home. Check whether the attendants are quick enough to tend to the needs of the residents. Talk to the management team and ask about staffing pattern and turnover rates. Over all, the staff should be kind, considerate and professionally skilled.