The time has come for your loved one to require some extra love and care. However, not all of us are able to care for our aging parents or grandparents, and while this may be a painful thought and you may experience guilt, looking for an assisted living facility could be the right move for you and your family. Not only will your loved one be cared for, but they will also be protected from doorstep scammers and have a lesser risk of accidentally hurting themselves from falling over, etc. 

But how do you choose the right assisted living facility for your loved one? With an overwhelming amount of information out there and many options to choose from, it can all become a bit much when deciding on the facility that is right for you and your loved one. Ideally, you will need to sit down with your loved one and create a list of must-haves (needs) and wants that you could potentially live without. 

You may need to explain to your loved one the reasons behind them needed assisted living. They may be refusing to accept that they cannot perform normal tasks and believe that assisted living is a move towards them losing their independence. That isn’t the case. Therefore, take the time to sit down with them and explain the benefits of assisted living and what it truly involves. For example, assisted living is when they get assistance and help with daily chores such as meal prep and laundry. Your loved one will still be able to go about their day and may also benefit from having more free time to enjoy the things they love.

Once your loved one is on board and accepts that assisted living is the best course of action, it is time to create a list of needs and wants. For instance, do they require help with meals and ensuring that they eat enough? Or, do they need to live within a community that if they were to fall, they could contact someone for help straight away? Luckily, most assisted living facilities will cater to these.

While your loved one may ask for the world and have a long list of wants and needs when it comes to finding an assisted living facility, you need to be realistic to ensure that you are not being unreasonable. Asking for too much limits your choices and can make the best facility look drab and dreary. 

Head online and research assisted living facilities around you so that your loved one can still remain close. You may find that there are a lot of assisted living facilities to choose from, so it is best that you take the time to read what they have to offer, their prices, and contact them directly for further information and to arrange a visit/tour. For instance, Frontier Management has a Silver Creek Senior Living facility which offers an award-winning program that focuses on providing their residents with the care they need while also ensuring that they live in an engaged community. 

Contact the facilities that have made it onto your short list and ask them a few questions about what they have to offer and how they ensure that their residents get a basic level of care. You can typically understand how their carers and facility operate by speaking with them, so strike up a conversation and see how they offer you the information that is needed to help you come to a decision. Ask them to email you any additional information that they may have but is not public knowledge. 

You will need to visit and tour the facilities to ensure that they are up to a certain level of standard. You may also wish to see how their carers work and the rooms that your loved one will be living in to ensure that they are comfortable. Once there, you could speak with other members of the community and ask what they think of the level of care and service that the facility provides. 

Visiting the facility is the best way to see whether it is the right place to send your loved one. Not only do you get to see the rooms and how their residents are treated, but you can also speak with the carers and residents and ask for their honest opinions. Of course, you may not be able to take your loved one to the facility to start with, but you could always book in a second visit/tour and bring them along. After all, this is where they are going to live so it is only right for them to weigh in on the decision. However, do remember that they may be more negative than positive when it comes to finding an assisted living facility. 

How can you trust an assisted living facility? The best way to do so is to read online reviews and testimonials from those who have used them before. Of course, you should always take reviews with a pinch of salt, but usually reviews are a great way to gain a view and understanding as to how a facility works and the consensus. The best way to paint a true picture of how a facility operates is to speak with residents of the facility. 

Before you call or visit a facility, have questions ready to ask. This can help you get all the answers you need and reduce the likelihood of forgetting to ask for any crucial information that could be pivotal in seeing whether the facility is right for you and your loved one. 

While broaching the subject of assisted living can be a difficult one, it could be what is needed to ensure the safety of your loved one. Be sure to read reviews and research the best assisted living facilities within your immediate area.