Visiting senior living communities as you search for a loved one’s place to call home can be overwhelming. In addition to pricing structures and apartment offerings being unique at each community, amenities, the approach to healthcare, recreation and dining programs can be very different. Here are five questions you may not have asked when visiting Temecula senior housing communities that you should.
If my loved one’s condition changes, what level of care are you capable of providing?
Some communities offer an aging in place community structure that allows your loved one to add services as needed. Sometimes those services are provided by the care team in-house, and sometimes services are provided through partnerships with Medicare certified home health or hospice agencies. However, based on the license of the community, some communities (who have a lesser license) require residents to move if their care needs are beyond the capabilities and limitations of the license of the community.
What is the size of the community?
Depending on the kind of environment your loved one would like, size of the community varies from senior housing community to senior housing community. Some communities prefer to offer less than 100 apartments to create an intimate family setting where residents are more likely to know most of the other residents residing in the community. In other cases, some senior housing providers create larger buildings more similar to what you’d find in a hotel or college housing environment. Some seniors have a “the-more-the-merrier” mentality and do well in larger communities, while others seek a smaller environment that they find less intimidating than large-scale communities.
What does the healthcare model look like?
There are two very different schools of thought when it comes to providing healthcare in a senior housing community. A medical-model senior housing community is more comparable to the experience you would receive at a skilled nursing facility. Visible differences you would notice are the attire staff wears, the presence of medication carts, and a methodology that encourages medication management for interventions related to medical conditions.
A social-model senior housing community typically focuses on creating a more aesthetically appealing environment. Care staff attire varies, but does not require scrub uniforms of other attire that would resemble a nursing home or hospital setting. Medication management is done discretely, and a holistic approach to care that identifies interventions beyond medication management is typically offered.
How flexible is the dining program?
In some senior housing communities, meals are offered at set times, requiring all residents to congregate in the dining room at the same time. In others, an open-dining concept has been applied, allowing residents to determine the time of day that best suits their schedule.
Another common difference in dining programs is the variety of menu items offered, and the capability of offering alternatives.
How diverse is the activities and recreation program?
Activities and recreation programs can vary greatly from community to community. In some communities, the types of activities and number of activities offered per day is determined solely by an activities director. Other communities have designated resident steering committees that help to determine the types of activities and number of activities per day that should be offered. In some communities, new residents may be interviewed to identify common interests and new activity opportunities, while others prefer to create a calendar that is consistent, but includes very little resident and family member feedback (other than an annual satisfaction survey).
Senior housing communities can vary greatly. The level of care they offer, the healthcare model they follow, and the dining and recreation programs can be vastly different. Use these five questions to take a deeper look at the options you and your loved one may be considering.