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LOCAL RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
See listings below
Before you call any of the retirement communities listed below, we highly recommend that you read the following guides and use our checklists.
Identify and Interview
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Answer the questions below at each step of the process. After you narrow down your choices, visit a minimum of three to four communities for each type of care you may require. Carry a checklist to complete for each community so that you can evaluate and compare them.
The checklists below can also be found on Chapter 5 of our book, Senior Housing Simplified, which you can print from this link.
Before You Call (Identify)
❏ How did I find out about this community?
❏ How many of my needs does this community meet?
❏ How many of my wants does this community meet?
❏ Does this community have the level of care I may need in the future?
❏ What do the online reviews say about this community ? (Google, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau).
Call the Community (Phone Interview)
❏ Do you have any openings at your community?
❏ What services do you provide?
❏ Do you perform background checks on your staff?
What about the residents?
❏ Is your community accredited? If so, with who?
❏ How much should I budget if I move into your community (not an exact number, just a range)?
❏ If I become a resident, how often do rates change?
❏ What is the best way I can get more information about your community?
❏ When can I take a tour of the community to learn more?
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Questions for the Tour
(In-Person Interview)
❏ Ask your tour guide how long they have worked there and what their main focus is.
❏ Who is the current manager or director? How long have they been there?
❏ What services are not offered here?
❏ What do you like about working here?
❏ What would you change about the community if you could?
❏ Ask if you can speak to other employees and residents about their experiences at the community.
❏ How do you communicate with family members?
❏ When are the visiting hours?
❏ Do they have any referrals from current or past residents/family members that you can contact?
❏ Is this a for-profit or non-profit community? If you have experience with each one, what differences do you see?
❏ If I were to move in today and order certain ser- vices, what would the cost be?
❏ How often do rates change for residents?
❏ How often do rates change for the general public (non-residents)?
❏ Is the rate open to negotiation? If so, under what circumstances?
❏ What is the application process? How long does it take?
❏ Are there other questions I should have asked?
❏ How long can we take to decide?
Making a Decision
After you complete your interviews and tours, sit down with your team and narrow down the list to your top two choices. If you need to move quickly, call the community at the top of your list and start the application process. If your top community is not available when you need it, you can choose the alternative.
Moving into a senior housing community may not be in your immediate future but having a couple of choices in each of the three areas will significantly reduce the time needed to resume the search when making a choice becomes urgent.
Things That Can Go Wrong
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The CommunityYou Chose is Full
If the community you want is fully booked, get on the waiting list, so when you are ready to move in 6 or 12 months, there should be an opening. You may be required to put down a small deposit to show that you are serious about wanting to move into the community.
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Not Properly Budgeting
Set a monthly budget and plan for all your expenses, not only for your senior housing. The sooner you understand the costs of senior living and can begin to save and budget for them, the more successful you will be.
Build out your plan and expect to pay more than you have ever paid for housing and other services. In the next chapter, we will review some typical costs. Confirm these costs when you go on community tours so you will have the information you need to get your budget ready.
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Selecting the Wrong Level of Care
Selecting a community with the wrong level of care can be an expensive mistake. All the extra services can seem inexpensive when priced individually, but together they can be a budget-buster. You want to live somewhere you can afford.
If cost is a concern, make sure you are only receiving the services you need. You do not want to live in a community for three or six months and find out you can no longer afford to live there. Getting an accurate estimate of all costs and potential increases before you move in will help you mitigate this risk.