Moving is always a stressful event especially if you have been living in your home for decades. For many seniors, making the decision to move to a senior living community can seem like a daunting task. Moving to a great senior living community can make this transition a little easier, but how can you tell what makes a great community? If you are looking for Senior Living Community Winston-Salem, keep reading to find out the top 6 things to look for when choosing a community.
#1 Feels Like A Home
A great senior living community feels like your own home. When it comes to the interior, the living arrangements should feel homey and not clinical. The furnishings should be durable, but not uncomfortable. The style of the place should fit your tastes and there should be the option for personalization. As for the exterior, make sure that there is a mix of common areas that are both semi-private and public. That the walking areas are welcoming just like your old neighborhood at home. At the end of the day, the place you choose shouldn’t feel like a senior living community, it should feel like a community that happens to have a lot of seniors in it.
#2 Well-Treated, Well-Paid Staff
Your daily point of contact will be the front-line staff and you have to make sure that they are happy with their jobs. When they are happy, they will be sure to treat you well during your stay. When you tour your place ask a staff member a few questions like ‘Do you feel valued at your job?’, ‘How does management treat you here?’, ‘What is your favorite part about working here?’. Asking these questions will help you gain insight into the way staff is treated at the community. Remember to ask a staff member when no one else is around. That way you will get a genuine answer. Follow up with questions to management about how much staff are paid, and compare that to the average Senior Living Community Winston-Salem. Having all these answers together will help you gain a better insight into the happiness of staff and the level of care you will receive.
#3 Close Knit Community
The best way to transition into a new senior living community is to make new friends. When you are evaluating communities look to see if the residents are engaged in the community. Do the residents go for walks together or visit with each other frequently? You may have a lovely home, but the best part of life is the people that you share your time with. Make sure that you notice a close-knit, welcoming community when you arrive. If the residents seem standoffish or hard to approach, you should consider finding a new place. Don’t forget to ask residents questions too. Check to see how long they have lived in the community and how easy they found making friends.
#4 Lots of Activities
One easy way to make friends and enjoy the most of senior living is to sign up for activities. The best senior living communities have plenty of activities to choose from. You should be spoiled for choice in the community you choose. Most of the best communities have yoga, card games, woodworking, choir, or painting classes. There should also be a lot of resident organized activities like nature walks or a trip to the local mall.
#5 Excellent Healthcare
The greatest senior living communities have solid healthcare facilities and ease of access to them.
Having access to quality healthcare is a significant advantage of the best senior living communities. Whether you need long-term care or rehabilitation surgery, your community should give you quick access to those resources. The staff on hand should be knowledgeable and have a desire to care for others. Remember to look for facilities that cater to both mental and physical health as those two factors go together when you are looking to age well. Ask the residents if they are getting the level of care that they expect and don’t forget to ask how prompt the care is too.
#6 Safe Facilities
Your health and safety are among the most important concerns for great community living communities. Depending on the type of community you choose different levels of safety will be established. For example, memory care facilities and communities have higher, and different safety standards than independent living communities. However, there are some basic things you should be asking for when it comes to safety.
- Is there a check-in process for residents and guests? This could mean a key card, a doorman, or a gated community
- Are common areas like hallways, parks, and paths well lit?
- Are there policies and procedures when a resident feels unsafe?
- Does the facility have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors?
- Do staff get regular training to detect signs of the following
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Are there handrails and sprinklers on stairs and in hallways?
The answer to all these questions should be yes. If it is a no, move along to a safer facility.
There are so many things to consider as you age. And moving to a Senior Living Community in Winston-Salem is one of them. This change can seem difficult but choosing and moving into a great senior living facility will make this potentially trying time a breeze! You may be looking for assisted care or independent living at this time and using the tips above will help you find the right community that will help you maintain a healthy mental and physical life as you age. Remember to keep your eye out for a community that feels like home, has great staff, a close-knit community with lots of activities, and looks out for your health and safety, you will have the best transition anyone could ask for.