How To Find Cheap Senior Apartment Living (Without Making A Mistake !)

Are you struggling with finding the right assisted living community for your loved one? Has your senior care research process been overwhelming and time consuming to the point of frustrating you? Well, don’t give up yet as with the right knowledge and approach, you will find the process easy and fruitful. In this article, we will show you some of the most common assisted living mistakes seniors make and how you can avoid them.

1. Visiting Only One Facility

This is one of the most common mistakes people searching for senior care make. Probably it’s because they find the search process to be sick and tiring and therefore jump to the first option they come across. You have to avoid this trap. Visiting several facilities opens your mind and presents you with several options from which you can make a choice. You cannot have a basis for comparison if you only visited one assisted living facility. It may be that one has some appealing amenities that are within your budget, while another could be having even better amenities that are still within your budget. You can then make the best choice depending on the requirements of your loved one. One way to avoid this mistake is by taking the time to research and visit at least three facilities. You can even search on the internet or make phone calls and visit them in person.

2. Basing Decisions on the Outward Appearance of A Facility

No one will dare take their father or mother to a rundown, dilapidated, and unhealthy looking kind of an assisted living facility. Most people tend to incline towards the new, shiny and pretty facilities. This is because the outside appearance says a lot about the facility. You must, however, not base your decision on the shininess of the buildings. Most people tend to think the newer and shiny, the better, but this is not always the case as luxuries do not determine the quality of life. With assisted living, the aspect of ‘quality living’ is what matters most, and for your loved one, this can only be through the quality of care he or she receives. You should, therefore, make your decision based on how ‘caring’ a facility is. This you can tell by looking at the residents of the facility. What are their faces saying? Do they look happy or sad? What about the staff, are they friendly? Do they handle others’ loved ones roughly? These, among other things, are the real indicators of the experiences your loved one will have there.

3. Choosing What Appeals To You Rather Than Your Loved One

The decision to take a loved one to an assisted living facility is often made by the senior’s adult children or grandchildren. The decision-maker if not considerate enough, may make a choice based on what they think is good for the senior. This is not always the case. For instance, you can choose a center because it has a heated pool for its residents or because it has a large backyard. While these are some great and appealing amenities, they would mean nothing to a loved one who can’t physically make use of them. For example, what advantage would be a heated pool for a senior who can’t leave their bed? When making your search, ensure you take into consideration the desires of your loved one and not just your own. If possible, have them describe to you their desires and then use that as the basis of your search. Your loved one may also not manage to tell of their desires. In such a case, then you, together with your family members or close friends, can deliberate on what you think he or she would love.

4. Not Including Others In The Search Process

The process of searching for an assisted living facility can be overwhelming. But some people would rather bear the pressure alone than bringing other people on board. While it’s still possible to do it alone, it would be much better, quicker, and easier if you involved experts and professionals in the industry. To move a loved one to a senior care facility should not be a cause of embarrassment for you. Instead, you should be glad that he or she will continue to enjoy quality life as they continue to age gracefully. Talking and consulting with knowledgeable people about your intentions arms you with the right knowledge and attitude. Your mind will be opened to different experiences others have had, and in the process, you will know what to prioritize and what to avoid. There are organizations and advocates whose main mission is to help people navigate the waters of assisted living for loved ones. They can prove to be very helpful, especially if you have a loved one with special needs. This is because being in the industry, they will help you to make the right choice based on your requirements. Note, however, that not all people can give you the right direction. For instance, your doctor may be an expert in health matters, but his or her recommendation for a facility for you will be based on what he has heard through word-of-mouth. This is because such people rarely take time to research such matters. You should, therefore, take it upon yourself to visit and assess each facility recommended to you.