When you reach a certain age, it can be a bit scary to think about what’s next for you. What’s the next chapter for you? How do you want to spend these years? You know it’s coming but perhaps not something you have put as much thought into as you should. Your senior years are just as important as your younger years, and how you spend them should be well considered.
Some of the main things you want to look at when you are deciding what kind of retirement home you would be keen to go to are:
Assisted living or Independent Living
The first step is always the hardest; that’s why the following article is here to provide you with some insight to help you on this journey. You can also click to visit website of Frontier Management for various senior living options to help you gain more knowledge of the types of living that are available to you.
Assisted living and independent living are very different types of retirement facilities. Assisted living refers to any living environment that provides extra care for those people who need a little bit of extra help. This help could be needed for a range of things and don’t just focus on medical and illness requirements; assisted living can also be used for people who need help with more basic daily tasks such as eating, changing, using the bathroom, or bathing.
Independent living facilities are retirement homes that give their residents a much higher level of independence; the people who would typically go to live at one of the facilities won’t typically require a lot of direct help. Instead, they are there to enjoy the social aspects; they move in to enjoy the activities and entertainment that these places offer and go to meet new people.
What is it you want?
You have to ask yourself what it is that you really want from your potential retirement home. A great way of deciding is to make a list of the things that you are interested in. Do you have particular hobbies? Likes and dislikes? Nowadays, most retirement homes host a wealth of entertainment and activity options for you to choose from; it’s great to use this time to find out whether you want to try some new things and start doing them. Popular activities that you should check for to see if they are available include:
- Arts and crafts
- Walking
- Water aerobics
- Cards
- Relaxation
- Exercise
- Puzzles and games
- Storytimes
- Music classes
Medical needs
One of the most important things to bear in mind is whether the facility you are looking into, which retirement homes you think would suit you, is to check whether they can accommodate your medical needs. Do you have certain exercises you must do? Do you require special medication at certain times? Do you need help with daily tasks like eating, changing, using the bathroom?
This is so important to consider as you really want to make sure you are going somewhere that you know will look after you and fill all of your needs.
Cost
Of course, there will undoubtedly be a high cost when you are talking about full-time care and moving into a residency. Just make sure that you know what you are paying for and know whether there will be any extras thrown in.
Take into account how much money you have and how much you can afford to spend on your retirement home. Look into the average costs in your areas so that you know what sort of thing you should be expecting. You need to know what kind of care you need to help work out how expensive your living costs will be.
What questions to ask when visiting prospective retirement homes
It can be quite overwhelming when you are looking around retirement home to take everything in and remember to ask all questions that you have. Here is a list of some of the questions we think are most important to ask about are:
• What are the room options available?
• What activities are provided?
• What activities or entertainment is on on a regular basis?
• What are their reviews?
• Are residents happy here?
• What sort of security is in place?
• What sort of routine do you have in place?
• How flexible are you with your resident’s routine?
• Are there specific times for guests to come?
• How many staff are there at any time?
Of course, we know you probably have plenty more questions that you would like to ask in order to get the information that you need to move forward with the next step in your life.
Speak to current residents
It’s a great idea when you are visiting to speak to current residents of the retirement homes and see how they feel about the place and what they think about it. After all, who knows the retirement home better than current customers. At the end of the day, this is the best way for you to really see inside the place in the eyes of a resident and make sure you know exactly what the place is like.
What should you bring?
When it comes to the time of deciding to make the move for you or for a loved one who is moving into a retirement home, one of the really important things to consider is what sort of things to take. It might not sound that key, but in actual fact, it is a great way to bridge the gap from living in your own home to living in a retirement home. You want to be surrounded by the things you love and that are familiar to you. This helps adjust to your new environment and be able to make the transition easier. We would recommend that you bring photos of your family and friends, also bring things to decorate with like pillows, blankets, maybe a clock or other mementos that bring you joy to look at.
