Questions to Ask When Looking at an Assisted Living Facility

There are many seniors today who make the choice to enter into an assisted living facility. These types of communities provide seniors with the unique opportunity to be able to live safely in a community of their peers while still maintaining some independence.

If you are a family member or loved one who is helping a senior in your life find the right assisted living facility for this upcoming transition, then it is important to be prepared with a number of questions before committing to a facility. Here are some of the top questions to ask when touring and looking at assisted living facilities. Keeping these questions in mind can only help seniors and their families determine if the assisted living facility they are considering is the right option.

1. What kind of training and experience do your staff members have?
2. How many staff members do you have working per resident?
3. How many staff members are on duty overnight? Is this standard every night?
4. Are staff members allowed to administer medication? If not, who administers medication?
5. Before my loved one comes, will you be performing an assessment? What does this assessment entail? Who performs it?
6. Is there a medical professional on-staff at all times in case of an emergency? Is there a nurse available 24/7 to administer medical treatments if needed?
7. What types of rooms or apartments are available for your residents? Can I tour all of the available rooms?
8. What is the monthly cost of the available rooms? Does the cost include everything or are utilities separate?
9. What type of in-facility and out-of-facility activities do you have for residents? Are these included or do they cost an extra fee?
10. Is there currently a wait list to get into this facility? How long is the list and how does it work?
11. What can you tell me about the residents that currently live here? What is the population like? (note: this is a great way to get a feel for the attitude of the facility and to see how well the staff knows their residents.)
12. Is there an outdoor area for residents to enjoy? What does this outdoor space look like? Do you have safety precautions in place to ensure the outdoor area is safe?
13. Can you explain your discharge policy? Can you explain it to me in detail?
14. Can you explain your payment policy? How do bills arrive? Can I do automatic withdrawal?
15. Is everything here included in the monthly cost? Are there additional fees? What are they?

Ask these questions during the search process and rest assured that you are doing your part to find the best assisted living facility possible for your loved one to call home. If you don?t have the answers to all of these questions, you may be missing out on gaining some valuable information about this assisted living facility that could make or break your decision about where you want to send your loved one.

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Lori Thomas

Lori Thomas has decades of experience as a caregiver. Her writing for SeniorAdvice.com is informed by years of research as well as hands-on family experience caring for her now late mother, who had chronic health issues for most of her life. Lori is an integral part of the SeniorAdvice.com management team, acting as Vice President of Marketing and Chief Editor.

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