Choosing a retirement home is a major decision, whether you’re making it for yourself or your parent. Senior citizens deserve to spend the last portion of their life in great conditions, and sometimes, a retirement home can provide that for them.
So, if that’s the case, what should you look for in a retirement home? Community? Professional expertise? Well, both, and a hell of a lot more. Let’s talk a little bit about what factors to consider when choosing a retirement home.
1. Your Needs
Depending on your health, or various other conditions, some retirement homes will be more suited for you. Some people need more help than others, and if you’re one of them, you might want to look into a retirement home that offers those kinds of services. On the other hand, if you just need a place to say and some senior friends to hang around with, and you don’t really need any professional help and taking care of, you can find that, too.
2. Location
Many senior citizens are reluctant to go to a retirement home because they fear they will rarely again see their loved ones. Now, we can’t promise you that you’ll see your loved ones as often as you want, but we can promise you is that if you choose a retirement that’s close to the people you love – they will be incentivized to visit more often. Furthermore, the closer you are to the home and the people you love, the easier it will be for them to help you out if need be.
3. Community
Community is a very important factor to consider when choosing a retirement home. Some people prefer small, tight-knit communities where they feel safe and sound, and they don’t need a lot of people around them. On the other hand, some people are social butterflies even in their late years and would much rather be surrounded by a lot of people so they can talk and have fun for the rest of their days.
4. Lifestyle
Some people want to spend their retirement in luxury, while others don’t really need anything but a bed, a chair, and possibly a TV to fall asleep to. Fortunately, retirement homes come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them are as luxurious as five-star hotels, so if that is something you or your parent might be interested in – give it a go. If not, there are plenty of down-to-earth retirement homes to choose from.
5. Cost
As you can imagine, not every retirement home will cost the same. Some will be quite affordable, while the other ones will cost quite a bit of money to stay in. According to siennaliving.ca, the cost of a retirement home is the main factor based on which the majority of people evaluate their options. Once again, it all depends on you and the situation you’re in. For better or worse, your financial situation will play a large role in selecting a retirement home. As expected, the more money you have, the better your options are. Naturally, that doesn’t mean that you can find both good and affordable retirement homes because you certainly can.
6. Staff Expertise
We’ve all heard gruesome stories of unprofessional staff in retirement homes, but the truth is, you’re far less likely to end up in a home with the unprofessional staff than in the one with loving and caring nurses and doctors. However, their niceness and dedication isn’t the only factor. As we’ve said, some seniors require more attention, mainly medical attention, and if that’s the case, you should consider a retirement home with plenty of experienced and knowledgeable staff.
7. Services And Amenities
You could chuck this up to lifestyle, but let’s keep it separated because, despite their similarities, it is not the same thing we’re talking about. Luxury and plenty of available services and amenities aren’t the same. You could be staying at a luxury retirement home but still not have a music room or a hair salon. Therefore, another thing to consider are all the on-site activities, amenities and services that you could enjoy.
8. Food
Food is another important factor to consider because, let’s face it – most senior citizens don’t have the time or the will to cook themselves each and every day. Even though most reputable retirement homes prepare food for their residents, you may want something more than just some plain old soup and a piece of meat for lunch or a bagel and a cup of tea for breakfast. So, before you decide on a retirement home, make sure you check how great their food is.
9. Visitation Policy
Believe it or not, some retirement homes restrict family visits, so if that is something that is important to you, make sure you do a thorough check of the visitation policy. We can only assume how awful it would be if your grandkids were in town and were coming to visit you, and they were denied access because of the retirement home’s visitation policy.
10. Transportation
Some senior citizens are more than capable of operating a vehicle, and if you are one of those, and you have a car that you want to keep and drive when necessary, you need to make sure you find a retirement home that allows it, and also the one that offers on-site parking.
However, even if you don’t drive, you might want to be driven somewhere from time to time, so it’s only appropriate that you check the home’s policy on that. Perhaps they have a shuttle service – you never know.
11. Pets
Some retirement centres are pet friendly, and some aren’t – it’s just the way it is. So, if you have a pet that you want to take with you, you will have to check the home’s policy on them. The last thing you’d want to do is fall in love with a retirement home, only to find out later on that they won’t allow you to bring your dog with you.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are various factors to consider when choosing a retirement home. We are certain that there are even more factors that some you will likely have to keep in mind, but we felt like these ones were the most universally applicable.
Apart from going into a retirement home, seniors can stay home longer with in-home aged care service offered by AbsoluteCareHealth.com.au.
