There are many considerations to take into account when searching for a top-rated assisted living community for your loved one.
You’ll want to fully understand what health care services are provided depending on the level of care needed.
For example, does the facility allow for multiple levels of care to allow your loved one to age in place if they begin to need more assistance? What’s the staff to resident ratio? How acute is the workers’ attention to individuals?
There are more assisted living communities today than ever before offering great amenities and services. So perhaps the question you should be asking yourself is “Will this community love and treat my loved one as they would for their own family member?”
We’ve written this guide to help you in your search for finding top-rated assisted living communities that include top-of-the-line staff, expert care, and provide exceptional attention and kindness toward seniors.
How Do I find the Best Assisted Living Facility (ALF)?
There are over 28,900 assisted living facilities currently in the US, and this number is expected to grow by an additional 5.3% rate in the next 6 years to keep up with the aging baby boomer generation.
While it’s certainly a good thing there are more ALFs than ever, it can make searching for the right place that much more difficult. With all the choices, it can leave you feeling unsure you’re making the right decision.
Perhaps the most pressing issue when picking an ALF is determining which facility is capable of providing the appropriate level of care your loved one needs, both currently, and in the future.
What Kind of Help Will Your Loved One Need?
Ideally, you will want to find a facility with an expert and loving staff that offers multiple levels of care so your loved one can age in place in just one spot, so you don’t have to move them from facility to facility as their care needs change.
We’ll briefly go over the three main types of care provided at many communities, and explain the difference between them, and the levels of care provided for each community.
Independent Living
This is suitable for seniors who are still mostly active and healthy but want to leave a maintenance-free lifestyle. Independent living facilities offer resort-style amenities like prepared meals, social outings, classes, and other fun activities. It’s also suitable for seniors who need a little extra help completing their activities of daily living (ADL).
Assisted Living
Assisted living is suitable for seniors who start to become less independent, and need more help completing their ADLs.
For example, if a resident becomes less mobile or has worsening vision or hearing, they will depend on the staff to help them with bathing, taking medication, running errands, paying bills, and other types of ADLs.
Assisted living facilities still offer top-of-the-line amenities and accommodations, but with an increased level of care.
Memory Care
For seniors who start to experience significant memory loss or confusion, such as those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, there are memory care facilities.
Many assisted living and independent living communities feature their own memory care facility to monitor residents on a 24/7 basis, usually in a more secure setting to prevent residents from wandering about or getting lost on campus.
For these residents, nurses and support staff taking care of most ADLs, from feeding, bathing, laundry, rehabilitation, and more.
Planning the Move to Assisted Living
Once you’ve decided it’s the right time to move your loved one into an ALF, you’ll need to begin your search to start comparing communities to explore further.
One great resource to search for options is Caring.com. This website lets you put in your city or ZIP code and then shows you the top-rated assisted living facilities in your area. Google and Yelp are also great resources for location-based searches showing helpful reviews.
What to Look for When You Visit Virtually or In-Person
Reading reviews online isn’t enough to make a decision, you should visit the facility in person if possible, or set up a virtual tour so that you and your loved one can get a feel for the community. It’s important to include your loved one, if possible, in the search for their new home.
When visiting the facility, look out for these things:
- How’s the wheelchair access?
- Is there on-site therapy or rehabilitation in case of a fall?
- Are there nutritionists and dining programs?
- Are there group activities? How often do they meet?
- Are there enough hand-rails and brightly lit areas?
- Are the decor and aesthetics of the building/community pleasing?
- How do the residents look? Are they happy? Satisfied?
- Is there a good ratio between the level of staff and residents?
- What medical procedures can they perform, and which can they not perform?
- Are there round-the-clock nurses or medical staff?
- What are the grounds for eviction?
- What are the visitation rules?
- Does the staff seem supportive and loving?
While many ALFs offer similar amenities and levels of healthcare, what truly differentiates them is the attitude of the staff. Always choose the facility that has the most caring and compassionate staff, as this is often the main complaint residents and families have with these types of communities.
The Kensington Promise
The Kensington White Plains is a top-rated, enhanced assisted living and memory care residence located in beautiful White Plains, New York.
We offer a higher level of professional staff than you’d find at most facilities, with a 24/7 nursing staff, medication administration by nurses, rehab on-site, and a physician’s office on site.
Unlike other facilities, we also offer special services to help those with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis to offer a fully comprehensive healthcare program for many needs.
At The Kensington White Plains, you can rest assured knowing your loved one is receiving the best care and is being looked after. We care for our residents’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being in our beautiful, community setting.
Our Promise to you is to love and care for your family, as we do our own.
If you’d like additional information or would like to set up a visitation of our community, please reach out to our loving staff members.
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