6 Factors to Consider When Choosing an Assisted Living Facility

Consider factors like size, location and cost while researching facilities. (Getty Images)

If you need some help with activities of daily living like cooking for yourself or getting into the shower, but don’t need the type of round-the-clock skilled nursing care a nursing home provides, an assisted living facility may be for you. “It’s ‘in-and-out’ service,” explains Mariel Schwartz, a hospice and palliative care social worker in the greater Detroit area and former assisted living facility employee. For example, a staff member may help you take your meds on time or button your blouse each morning, but he or she won’t need to hang out with you all day.

“it’s really built on this idea of maximizing independence, offering socialization and focusing on well-being while still offering a home-like environment,” says Rachel Reeves, a spokesperson for the National Center for Assisted Living, which represents about 4,000 assisted living communities nationwide.

6. Culture

You can’t really know what it’s like to live in an assisted living facility until you do it. But you can get a very telling taste if you visit your potential options first. “In today’s age, it’s highly understandable that folks would like to do an internet search and find something quickly and be done,” Reeves says. “But this is also where you or a loved one is going to live for the foreseeable future – you wouldn’t buy a house [from an internet search].” She recommends visiting the facility, talking to the staff and residents, attending a meal and getting a sense of the environment. “That’s the biggest piece of advice we can give people – make sure it feels like the right environment.”