Springtime = Great Time to Move into a Community

If you’re contemplating of when is a good time to begin researching and touring senior communities, springtime is the best season. Senior living communities typically have incentives and discounts for move-ins. The reason why is because typically the winter season is slow for move-in’s mainly due to weather and holidays. The senior communities begin to prepare and advertise move-in deals during the beginning of the spring season to make up for the lack of move-ins during the winter months.

Here is a brief list of what to be attentive to and ask during tours:

  1. Don’t always equate brand new or even renovated communities to great care. There are beautiful communities in our neck of the woods, but not all of them provide exceptional care and customer service.
  2. Be attentive to customer service; not only the person giving the tour, but the staff and administration that you pass by. Anyone can put a smile on their face while providing a tour, but it is the other staffs’ demeanor and customer service that you should be attentive to.
  3. When you see other residents be cognizant of how they look. If it is a community that provides hands-on care to residents, a key factor is noticing how they look (i.e. dirty clothes, hair not brushed, shoes and/or socks not on) and if staff notices.  
  4. Cleanliness of the building. If a building is not clean, including smell, then that does equate to lack of resident care (i.e. carpets, overhead lights, doorways, flooring, furniture). Difference between dirty and old.  
  5. If you’re touring for someone that is a fall risk, nutritional problems, behaviors due to cognition, pressure sores/wounds and/or incontinent, request to speak to the Director of Nursing (DON) or Administrator to receive guidance and a peace of mind. Be cognizant of how the DON or Administrator communicates with you as well as makes time to speak with you; you will know at this point if your loved one will be taken care of.
  6. Stay long enough to eat in their dining room. The main complaint or focus in communities is the food. Food = love, socialization, and choices. Food is typically the last area residents still get to decide.
  7. Security. Make sure the front doors are staffed by a receptionist and locked during certain hours. Ask about weekend coverage.