Choosing an assisted living community is difficult. Not only is there the investment of time and money to consider, but also the happiness and wellbeing of yourself or your aging loved one. In the state of Ohio, there are over 600 assisted living facilities. Where do you even begin? In this blog, we’ll go over a few key stages to making your decision.
1. Research
Making the move to assisted living is a big decision, and it’s one that needs careful consideration before you choose between Ohio assisted living facilities. Search the internet, ask friends and family, and talk to healthcare providers so that you can get a complete picture of a facility before you start to seriously consider them. Here are a few key considerations to start with:
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Location:
- Ohio covers almost 45,000 miles, which includes lake shoreline, riverland, and sprawling plains. It’s got bustling city life in Columbus and Cleveland, beautiful rural communities, and everything in between. Therefore, where the facility is located and its distance from transportation, outdoor recreation activities, shopping, and other amenities should be taken into consideration very early in the process. While location may be more or less important to you and your loved ones, proximity to family and fun opportunities can help make an assisted living community feel like home more quickly.
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Living Spaces:
- Knowing what type of living space you’re looking for is a good next step. In many Ohio assisted living facilities, you can find shared apartments that can house two to four residents, individual apartments, or a mix of both. Whether a resident is rooming with others or by themselves, you should always look for spaces that are welcoming, easy to navigate, and capable of offering privacy.
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Care Provided:
- Not all facilities are capable of offering the same level of care. While all assisted living communities should provide basic personal care services and health monitoring, more extensive care such as medication administration, nursing services, and social and physical activities may vary based on the facility and the training of its staff. Some assisted living communities also offer respite care services, rehabilitation, and memory care, so you may want to narrow your search depending on healthcare needs.
2. Call
Once you’ve selected a few Ohio assisted living facilities to consider more carefully, the next step is to arrange a call and get the information right from its source. Look for thorough, honest answers -- you want to feel confident in their communication. Here are a few questions to ask:
- What is assisted living? What does it mean to you?
- What is the ratio of staff members to residents?
- How often are housekeeping and laundry services available?
- Which meals are provided?
- What sort of activities can residents participate in?
3. Visit
After calling the community, it’s time to visit. You can’t truly know whether a resident is comfortable where they are without seeing it firsthand. A few positive signs are:
- Staff is friendly, respectful, and familiar with residents
- Meals are appetizing, and eating assistance is provided when necessary
- Facilities are welcoming, clean, and easy to navigate
- Residents are engaged and well
Choosing one out of many Ohio assisted living facilities is a difficult task, but it’s not impossible. Let us help by downloading our eBook below!
