Assisted Living: San Francisco and Beyond

Choosing the right assisted living community for either yourself or a relative is as important as deciding on a house or an apartment. It should be an involved, carefully thought out process that gives the resident-to-be as much power and discretion as they are able to dispense. When it comes to facilities and communities devoted to senior living, San Francisco and the surrounding areas have plenty of options to choose from--some pretty undesirable, some as nice as the Ritz. As with anything, your options increase the more you are willing to spend.

When searching for an assisted living community, make sure to visit several places, several times each. Interview both staff and residents, as well as community directors. Take tours, eat a meal or two, walk the grounds, and ask lots of questions. In fact, listed below are some good questions to ask yourself when you visit centers for assisted living, San Francisco residents. The key to making sure you're covering all the bases is by asking plenty of questions and spending some time getting a feel for each place you visit.

1. Is the building (inside and out) clean, well-maintained, and inviting?
2. Is the community location and building safe and appealing?
3. Do you get an immediate sense of warmth and comfort when you walk into the building?
4. Do the rooms and hallways accommodate walkers, wheelchairs, and ease of movement?
5. Does it smell fresh and clean inside the building(s)?
6. Is there easy access to the outdoors?
7. Is the floor plan easy to understand?
8. Are there emergency response systems in bedrooms, bathrooms, and common areas?
9. Are the sounds that you hear around the assisted living community pleasant?
10. Did you receive warm greetings from the staff? Are they personable and outgoing?
11. Do the residents appear content and happy? (Be sure to talk with some of them to find out how they like living there).
12. Are the residents socializing and engaged in fun and meaningful activities?
13. Did the staff offer you a meal? How was the food?
14. Is there a nurse on staff, or medical personnel that come in on a regular basis?
15. Do you think friends and family will be comfortable visiting you or your loved one in this assisted living community?
16. Does this community have a good reputation in terms of assisted living?
Written by Mel Bryson. Assisted living San Francisco: Personalized assisted living community for senior living San Francisco. Senior care, retirement facility in Northern California. More info at http://www.seniorlivingsolutions.com