Helpful Assisted Living Resources to Help you
When faced with the task of searching for assisted living, or memory care, most people don’t know where to start. Beginning the process, and then deciding on the right option, can be daunting and cumbersome for some. Transitioning to the right senior living option is an important life decision. That’s why we created comprehensive assisted living resources, so you can feel confident as you embark on this journey. We also have a team of dedicated associates in our communities to help answer an questions you might have. Thoroughly researching assisted living resources will make the process less stressful, and allow for you or your loved one to make an educated decision. As you begin your research, you may have questions such as:
- Is now a good time to start looking?
- How do begin my search?
- How do I pay?
- What are the differences in the senior living communities in my area?
- What should I look for in a community?
- What are the different levels of care?
Our different assisted living resources offers tips and information needed to navigate through these questions and more. It’s never too early to start evaluating your assisted living options. We hope this guide simplifies the steps needed for a stress-free decision and smooth transition to an exciting new chapter in your life.
Defining Senior Living
Assisted Living
Assisted living is designed for the senior who wants to live in a private apartment but may need a helping hand with certain daily living activities, such as taking medications, dressing, or bathing. Since each resident’s needs are unique, tailored assistance is offered to encourage and empower the resident to live as independently as possible. Additional services include maintenance, housekeeping, scheduled transportation, and three meals a day.
Dementia Care/Memory Care
Dementia care communities provide services to those seniors with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or other memory impairments. These communities offer apartments specifically designed to make a resident feel like they never left home. Around-the-clock supportive services reinforce dignified living by providing a secure and safe “village” environment, and common areas encourage social interaction that foster a sense of belonging for the resident. Fun, intellectually stimulating on-site activities include music, art, cooking, gardening, exercise, and more. Many communities also extend support and hold educational programs aimed to help family members understand the impact of memory loss.
Beginning your Assisted Living Search
Choosing assisted living can be a complex decision for some. Thankfully, there are assisted living resources available to help you along the way. You may start by exploring the following assisted living resources we developed to assist you.
- Five Questions to Ask When Considering Whether a Loved One Needs Assisted Living
- How to Understand the Care Your Elderly Parent Needs — and How it will change
- Talking to Parents about Assisted Living
- Long-Term Senior Living Options: Home Care vs. Assisted Living
- How a Senior Living Community and Family Helps Residents Age in Place
- Your Guide to Choosing the Right Senior Living Community
- Assisted Living vs. Nursing Home
- Older Adults Living Alone vs. Vibrant Senior Senior Living
Evaluating Assisted Living Communities
What is important to you?
Once you have a short list of communities that fits your needs, take the time to research what they offer from an accommodation, lifestyle, and care perspective. Look for certain distinctions that fit your requirements and separate the community from the rest. Older adults transition to assisted living for a variety of reasons. Communities offer assorted levels of care, and certain aspects of a community are more important to some than others. Understanding what you would like in a senior living community is the first step to finding a good match for you or your loved one.
Below is a list of the most common reasons people typically choose a senior living community.
- Comfortable living arrangements
- Overall community feel
- Easy and healthy lifestyle
- Companionship of those with common interests
- Access to assisted care
- Fits the budget
- Safety and security
Pointers for On-Site Visits
Experiencing an assisted living community environment firsthand will help you make an informed decision. Even within the same company, each community can have a different feel. Spending time at the community will give you a sense of what day-to-day life will be like in your new home. Spend as much time as you need walking the grounds. Make sure to take notes so you can review the important things you saw. A great time of day to visit a community is during dinner to sample the cuisine and get to know the current residents. If one personal visit isn’t enough, don’t be afraid to schedule another, or even return unannounced. Request a list of monthly activities to determine if your interests are addressed in the community’s schedule of events. Ask how the activities are selected, and how often they change to gauge whether resident input and feedback are considered when the schedule is created. In the end, go with what your intuition tells you. If the community doesn’t offer a sense of ease and comfort, it’s probably not right for you.
Schedule a Personal Visit
Paying for Senior Care
Senior living communities are attractive to residents for their personalized care, wonderfully convenient amenities, and resident quality of life. But can you afford to live there? Most people put off considering senior living because they have heard stories about the high cost. The financial commitment may seem much higher than what you currently pay for housing, but if you compare your budget side-by-side, you might be surprised at what you can afford.
- 10 Most Common Misconceptions about Senior Living Costs and Affordability
- How do Families Pay for Senior Living?
- Paying for Senior Care
- Assisted Living - Rental Community vs. CCRC Cost Comparison
Making the Move
Now that you’ve made the decision to make a move, it’s time to prioritize belongings and ease into a new home comfortably.
The best course of action when moving to a senior living or assisted living community is to downsize. To make the move easier, try to downsize in stages. Set aside time to minimize your belongings once a week or purge one room a week. Ask the community you’ve selected for references for services that help seniors with the downsizing process. A good tip to remember when downsizing is that the whole community will now be your home, including the shared spaces. While it may seem like you can’t part with the items you’ve had in your home for years, many of those items, such as a good set of china, or holiday decorations, will be provided. The items that you keep should only be what you will personally enjoy every day in your new apartment or home.
- A Guide to Decluttering
- Planning Your Move
- 7 Little Things That'll Make a Big Difference with Assisted Living
About Brightview Senior Living
In 1999, Brightview Senior Living was founded to provide seniors a vibrant place to live. Today, Brightview owns and operates more than 40 communities from Virginia to Massachusetts and is supported by over 4,000 associates. Creating vibrant communities by providing excellent service is Brightview’s mission. Residents live in an environment of possibilities, independence and choice where they can receive the support they need to make the most of each day. Brightview Senior Living offers unmatched care and dedication to providing a fulfilling experience for its residents.
What SEPARATES brightview from the rest
- The “Flourishing at Brightview” program – before residents move in, Brightview associates take the time to learn each resident’s likes, dislikes, careers, past and present hobbies, and aspirations to ensure they receive the most of what Brightview offers. New residents are introduced to current residents with similar interests, and invitations to meals and other activities make it easier to make friends quickly.
- Brightview’s approach to care is centered on Possibilities, Independence, and Choice. Residents who require a helping hand are encouraged to maintain their independence and choice in their activities of daily living. We believe that each person, no matter how old or frail, has the possibility to grow and experience joy every day.
- To ensure the highest quality living experience for residents and their families, residents and associates complete an annual, confidential satisfaction survey, and action plans are developed by the company to address feedback.
- Brightview’s activities are based on a philosophy that incorporates all dimensions of wellness: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural and Emotional (SPICE). With activities like guest speakers, trips to the theater, and friendly games of poker, Brightview residents remain engaged. Brightview and our partner Bayada also offer the SPICE in Motion program, an exercise class which has been statistically proven to increase the health and well-being of residents. Residents experience increased mobility, faster recovery from surgeries, and significantly lower re-hospitalization rates.
- Brightview builds and operates Brightview Senior Living communities, which means that from the initial design of the building through daily operations, everything is centered on creating an exceptional experience for our residents