I find myself wanting to continually simplify my life as I get older. The big four bedroom house with a large yard went by the wayside about 12 years ago. My husband and I downsized to a maintenance-free villa town home with 3 bedrooms and two baths. Now, as we begin to travel more, I am thinking smaller still. But down the road, I expect to need the safety and care that an assisted living community can offer.
I hear clients say all the time that they will never move from their homes, that they plan to die there. But what happens when you can no longer care for yourself or you suffer an illness that makes it unsafe to remain in your home of many years. What happens when your spouse dies, and you are home alone with no social interaction and mental decline begins to sneak into the picture.
I don’t know about you, but I want to have a say in which assisted living community I live in. The only way that can happen is to become familiar with the communities in my area and select the one that will be the best fit when the time comes. So what are some of the things you should consider when picking the perfect place to spend your final years?
- Location, Location, Location. Your real estate friends will tell you this is everything. You want a new home to be convenient for friends and family to visit. You will also want a home to be close to your doctors, your church, and your outside activities such as lunch clubs, organizations for which you volunteer, etc.
- Food. You should go to lunch and dinner and sample the food. Once a resident, you are likely to eat one to three meals each day in the dining room, so sampling the menus will be important.
- People. As you tour the community, look around at the residents who live there. Do they greet you as you walk by? Does the community feel friendly and open. Watch the staff and see how they interact with the residents. Keep your eyes and ears open and alert.
- Cost. If the community passes the first three tests, then and only then do you start working on the financial portion. There are many plans and options available, so don’t be afraid to negotiate. Ask your financial advisor or CPA to help you evaluate the cost of staying in your home (which might include 24 hour in-home care) versus the cost of living in an assisted living community.
We recommend that you involve family members in the process. They might see things that you would miss. It is always better to have more than one person along to observe, because while you are talking to one person, they can be looking around and observing other behaviors. But the most important thing is to make the decision before you are forced to move. This will give you the maximum control over how your live life to its fullest all the way to the end.
Article Written by Reba Rogers. Reba Rogers, CPA, is the founder of CPA Secure Aging, a group of care managers who preserve the independence and protect the assets of seniors by helping them with financial management.
