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Assessing Your Needs (& Wants) in Assisted Living

As if the decision to move your loved one to assisted living wasn’t hard enough emotionally, how do you know what to look for in choosing the best place? There was likely a need that prompted you to consider assisted living. A health scare? Safety concerns? But it’s also important to look beyond that. To find the best fit for the long term, you should look at the big picture and consider all your loved one’s needs and wants. Here’s how.

What’s Working and What’s Not at Home

First, the family (and your loved one if possible) should do an honest assessment of where things stand now in these key areas at home.

 It’s
Working
Not WorkingCan/Should the Family Manage?Should We Get Outside Help?
Meals/Nutrition    
Driving    
Socialization    
Personal Care    
Medication Management    
Housekeeping/Laundry    
Home Maintenance    
Managing Finances    
Safety    

What Do you Want from Assisted Living?

Now you should begin thinking about what would be nice to have as well as what your family and/or your loved one would consider must-haves in assisted living. Meals, housekeeping, transportation and activities are typically standard offerings, but consider these additional options to get you started.

 Must HaveNice To HaveNot Sure/No
Residence    
High-rise building   
Private accommodations   
Personal laundry services   
Full kitchen   
Homelike Feel   
Other:   
Lifestyle   
Plenty of Neighbors   
Multiple dining venues   
Outdoor spaces/walking paths   
Events and outings    
Access to spiritual programs   
Enrichment opportunities   
Pet friendly   
Wi-Fi   
Other:   
Care/Wellness   
24-hour onsite care   
Onsite medical    
Memory care program   
Special diets   
Fitness Center/Classes   
Low caregiver to resident ratio   
Other:   
Safety/Security   
Fall Alert Technology   
Keypad Entry/Exit   
Emergency Preparedness Plan   
Other:   

Will a Large Assisted Living Community Work?

Now that you have a better understanding of your loved one’s needs and wants you can start to narrow your choices. Traditional assisted living communities are often on a large campus with potentially hundreds of residents. They offer a range of amenities and activities often across multiple buildings throughout the campus. While it may seem overwhelming and institutional to some, others enjoy the crowd. However, if your loved one thrives in a smaller setting, don’t worry, there is an alternative.

Consider Boutique Senior Living for Assisted Living

Boutique senior living provides residential care in a single-family home. Our homes are specially crafted for assisted living with 16 residents at most and a nearly unheard of 1 to 5 caregiver to resident ratio. We believe it blends the best of both worlds – the comfort of home with the quality care and amenities of large assisted living – which makes for a much easier transition.

Here your loved one will have the personalized attention, active lifestyle and amenities they deserve. All in a home environment that feels comfortable and familiar from the décor to the large yard to family-style meals on one of our signature homemade farm tables. Even the charming, rural neighborhood location will likely feel similar to where your loved one lives now. 

Your loved one won’t lack amenities at all as we also offer laundry and cleaning services, complimentary Wi-Fi, transportation and safety features such as fall alert pendants, state-of-the-art video monitoring and keypad entry/exit access. Plus, our activity programs include exercises, socialization, cognitive stimulation and immersive activities as well as outings and live entertainment.

nursing home

For more information on boutique senior living at Shepherd Premier, schedule a virtual tour today or call (224) 333-6247 to speak to a team member.