Questions to Ask During a Tour of an Assisted Living Community

Since seven in ten Americans will need assisted living at some point in their life, there's a lot of support available to families making the transition.

Evaluating senior care and choosing a Fort Pierce assisted living community is easier when you know what questions to ask. Making appropriate inquiries makes finding the right community a much faster and more effective process.

Read on to learn some questions to ask on tours of great assisted living communities!

What Levels of Care Do You Offer?

An assisted living community aims to offer seniors as much independence as possible while still offering the care they need. Because of this, the best communities offer multiple levels of care.

Some seniors need dedicated caregivers to perform personal care tasks like:

Choosing clothes
Getting dressed
Bathing
Using the bathroom
Brushing teeth
Medication management
Getting into and out of bed

Others require minimal support and mainly take advantage of mobility-related assistance. Some simply want help jogging their memory to complete various tasks and look into programs that keep them sharp.

Ensuring that a community has multiple care levels means meeting all your loved one's needs.

Do You Create Individually-Tailored Care Plans?

No two seniors have one-size-fits-all needs. Some may be extremely mentally sharp but need help moving around. Others may have great flexibility but need some memory and cognition help.

To ensure that each resident's needs are met, The Lynmoore at Lawnwood:

Sit down with new residents and their family members
Ask what tasks the new resident can do easily
Inquire about the challenges that the senior faces
Come up with solutions for overcoming these challenges with compassionate caregiver assistance
Write down a plan for offering effective care
Adapt the plan over time to accommodate changing needs

Ask how these personalized care plans work while on your tour to gain a comprehensive understanding of their benefits.

Can We See an Apartment on the Tour?

Well-appointed resort-style apartments are a huge advantage of good Fort Pierce senior communities. Your loved one can enjoy several floor plan options and reap the benefits of:

Comfortable furniture
Ample lighting
Accessible windows
Elegant hardwood flooring
HVAC services

Asking to see apartments will help families understand what to expect. It also may make choosing an apartment floor plan easier since seniors can compare and contrast their options.

What Safety and Accessibility Features Do You Offer?

The CDC reports that almost one million older adults go to the hospital annually for fall-related injuries. To minimize these risks, ask community staff about accessibility features like:

Wide doorways and hallways
Large, easy-to-navigate rooms
Grab bars and grip bars
Low countertops for wheelchair access

Ask to see these features, too. This will give you a better idea of how the community is built to accommodate the specific needs of older adults.

What Sorts of Calendar Activities Do You Have?

Since 34% of older adults experience senior isolation that leads to loneliness, according to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, it's important to choose assisted living options with great activities and events.

Great social opportunities decrease the risk of depression and health issues like heart disease and dementia.

Ask about the activities calendar and what events and activities the senior living community offers. Look for things like:

Game nights
Bingo
Craft workshops
Painting and sketching
Gardening groups
Guest lectures
Live music
Themed dances
Ice cream socials
Movie screenings

Do You Have Senior Wellness Programs?

It's also important that the calendar contains activities like:

Stretching
Yoga, including chair yoga
Meditation
Outdoor walks
Aerobic exercise

One of the best assisted living tour tips is to see fitness-related amenities. This will let you know what to expect in terms of senior exercise opportunities.

You also may want to ask about wellness and dining programs. This will let you know how chef-prepared meals and exercise groups can promote your loved one's well-being by boosting flexibility and stamina.

How Do Visits From Family and Friends Work?

When moving a parent or grandparent into senior living, everyone may have concerns about how frequently they can see each other. That's why senior housing questions on a tour should include inquiries about family visits.

Ask whether there are pre-determined visiting hours that you have to stick to. Inquire about where you and your loved ones can spend time together.

A quality Fort Pierce assisted living community will answer your questions transparently and honestly. You'll be able to plan out times to see your loved one and spend quality time together.

What Credentials Does Your Staff Have?

When evaluating senior care, ask the person giving you a tour about:

Their state licensing
Staff certifications
Caregiver qualifications
Years of experience
Ongoing staff training
Accolades and awards

Learning about caregiver and community credentials lets you make a more informed decision about whether a senior care community is high-quality. You want to make sure they know what they're doing, and knowing their qualifications is a surefire way to understand that they do.

What Does Payment Look Like?

Payment-related questions can help families budget for senior living. Ask questions about:

The average monthly rent
What the base rent includes
Additional fees for certain community features
Whether the community takes insurance
How often you pay the community professionals
What channels you can use to make payments

Different floor plans also frequently have different associated costs. Ask how much studios and singles cost in comparison to double rooms. This can help you choose the perfect floor plan for your loved one while still meeting your financial needs.

Talk With Experts at the Top Fort Pierce, Florida Assisted Living Community

Now that you know some questions to ask an assisted living community while touring, it's time to schedule a visit.

The experts at The Lynmoore at Lawnwood are excited to meet new residents and their families. We understand the challenges and joys of transitioning to a senior living community and are well-equipped to handle a wide range of inquiries.

Our community offers more services and amenities than other senior living options in Fort Pierce, so contact us to schedule a tour and see what makes us stand out.