When making the transition to a senior living community, there are some key things to consider when discussing the different options available for yourself or your loved ones. “What is included in where you live? Is Assisted Living included?” asks Wendy, whose mother lives at Terracina Grand, a senior living community in Naples, Florida. “Can you get assistance right where you’re at, or do you have to move to another building or even another area of the same building?”
These are all important questions to ask when selecting a senior living community.
“I highly recommend that people move to a community where memory care is offered,” said Wendy. “When someone turns 85, they have almost a 38% chance of developing dementia [according to the Alzheimer’s Association], so prepare for that when you’re going to make the original move.”
It’s also important to have a clear idea of what is included in a community’s monthly rent and the amenities offered there. Does the community offer transportation to the store or doctor's appointments?
“My stepfather was so funny, breaking everything down financially. He would say ‘Well really this isn’t bad when you figure three meals a day, all your electricity, all your phone bills, and cable.’ He broke it all down to where he found was really not costing much more than keeping their own place,” Wendy said, laughing.
