Choosing an assisted living apartment could be the most important decision you make for yourself or a loved one.
That being the case, it is not a determination you should enter into lightly.
Indeed, you should take many factors into careful consideration before deciding on one.
Following are some key questions experts recommend you ask yourself when comparing apartments.
"U.
S.
News and World Report" recently outlined "9 Things to Consider in Your Search for an Assisted Living Facility.
" Chief among these recommendations the newspaper suggests reflecting "on what is most valuable in you or your loved one's life" and thinking "about your current and future needs.
" With respect to the first factor, are you and your loved one very religious? Will regular attendance at church services be possible? Are sports or other hobbies a vital part of the future resident's life? Will s/he be able to easily attend these events once in residence? Is the apartment located close to a metropolitan center where such activities are within easy access? Is transportation to such activities provided? Is it important to you or your loved one to maintain a certain standard of beauty or personal appearance? If so, does the assisted living apartment you're considering offer access to a barber or beauty salon? On the second front, do you or your loved one have a medical condition like dementia or Parkinson's that will likely progress as time goes on? Right now, you might still be fully capable to taking care of all your own personal needs.
But what about a year from now? Five years from now? If you or your loved one fall into such a situation, it's important to consider now, before the matter becomes an issue, whether the apartment you have your eye on can meet your current and future needs.
In an article titled "Sizing Up A Continuing Care Retirement Community," "Forbes" magazine adds to this list of assisted living apartment considerations the following critical ones.
That being the case, it is not a determination you should enter into lightly.
Indeed, you should take many factors into careful consideration before deciding on one.
Following are some key questions experts recommend you ask yourself when comparing apartments.
"U.
S.
News and World Report" recently outlined "9 Things to Consider in Your Search for an Assisted Living Facility.
" Chief among these recommendations the newspaper suggests reflecting "on what is most valuable in you or your loved one's life" and thinking "about your current and future needs.
" With respect to the first factor, are you and your loved one very religious? Will regular attendance at church services be possible? Are sports or other hobbies a vital part of the future resident's life? Will s/he be able to easily attend these events once in residence? Is the apartment located close to a metropolitan center where such activities are within easy access? Is transportation to such activities provided? Is it important to you or your loved one to maintain a certain standard of beauty or personal appearance? If so, does the assisted living apartment you're considering offer access to a barber or beauty salon? On the second front, do you or your loved one have a medical condition like dementia or Parkinson's that will likely progress as time goes on? Right now, you might still be fully capable to taking care of all your own personal needs.
But what about a year from now? Five years from now? If you or your loved one fall into such a situation, it's important to consider now, before the matter becomes an issue, whether the apartment you have your eye on can meet your current and future needs.
In an article titled "Sizing Up A Continuing Care Retirement Community," "Forbes" magazine adds to this list of assisted living apartment considerations the following critical ones.
- "Can you afford it?" - It's natural to want the very best possible care for yourself or a loved one, but you don't want to find yourself financially strapped, or worse broke, as a result of your assisted living apartment decision.
When crunching the numbers, be sure to factor in expenses like meals, utilities, housekeeping, trash removal, etc.
Some assisted living apartments included these costs as part of their fee.
Others will require that you pay for these services separately.
Make sure you're comparing apples to apples. - What is the assisted living apartment's current occupancy rate? The Kiplinger experts tapped by the magazine say, "Look for an occupancy rate of 85% or higher unless it's a new development.
" Why? "After a recession-driven downturn a few years ago, the average occupancy rate of (assisted living apartments) at the end of 2013 was back to 90%.
"
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