What You Need to Know Before Choosing a Retirement Home
Choosing a retirement community or home for yourself or a loved one takes careful research. Each home is unique, and no one home is ideal for everyone. It’s essential that you find a place that suits your — or your loved one’s — individual needs, and in order to do that, you need to consider many things.
What to Look for in a Retirement Home or Community
It can be overwhelming trying to sift through all the factors that should be considered before choosing a retirement home. However, focusing on these key factors will help you narrow your search and feel more confident in your decision:
The Surrounding Community
Even though much of a resident’s time is spent within a retirement home or community, there are — or should be — opportunities for residents to take trips to experience the outer community. Whether it’s to the shopping mall or the ice cream parlor, the community around a retirement home is important and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Exercise and Physical Wellness
It’s more than vital for seniors to remain physically active during their time in retirement homes. Physical fitness has been linked to lower risk of everything from arthritis to depression to influenza. It’s also a mood booster and is linked to more happiness overall.
Food and Dining
Senior living communities offer nutrition that is specifically balanced and designed for seniors. The best senior living retirement communities offer many food options and different dining options. Look for homes or communities with formal dining rooms offering sit-down meals, small cafes on site, and grab-and-go snack options.
Safety
Every senior living in a retirement home or community deserves safety. Any retirement home you may be considering needs to be impeccably clean, tidy, and safe. There should be no clutter, trash, or messes anywhere.
For example, dining areas should be disinfected and cleared promptly. Laundry should either be done routinely, or facilities should be accessible for residents to clean their clothes.
Relationships Between Staff and Residents
A lot can be determined from the way the staff members interact with residents. Make sure to watch those interactions; you want a friendly, attentive, empathetic, and helpful community.
Seniors deserve to have the opportunity to create meaningful relationships, and when staff members are respectful to residents and the residents are happy, it’s a strong sign that the retirement home is an excellent place for its residents.
Choosing the Best Retirement Home or Community
There are also other aspects of choosing a retirement home to keep in mind. For example, cost is always a factor, of course, and so is transportation. Consider the location of the retirement home; ideally, it should be near loved ones, medical facilities, shopping centers, and activity hubs.
By keeping these essential factors in mind as you search, you’ll be able to find the best retirement home for your needs.
MorningStar is guided by a culture rooted in our mission of honoring God, valuing seniors, and investing in our team, which allows us to deliver services with warmth, sincerity and depth of purpose. We have built a reputation for creating true homes filled with an atmosphere of love and community. Please contact us to learn more about the finest retirement communities Portland has to offer.