Tips to Help Start Your Search for Senior Living

Published: November 9, 2022

In their golden years, seniors want new experiences after retirement, and they might downsize to maintain an adventurous lifestyle. Selling the family home and moving into a senior community gives them more affordable housing and leaves more money to spend on traveling and entertainment. As they start their search for the right senior living community, retirees can follow these tips to narrow down their search.  

Find the Right Location

The state of New York offers wonderful cities, towns, and boroughs where seniors can live and enjoy life, and finding the best location matters to them. They want a senior community that is close to all the places they love and convenient to get to via a short commute. Learn more about a local Independent Living community in Plainview, NY, and see if it meets your standards. 

Review the Benefits of Living in the Community 

Searching for a senior community starts with the amenities the community offers. Community amenities could range from on-site restaurants, exercise rooms, activity rooms,, and a wonderful apartment for seniors who can live on their own. Seniors explore all these amenities to find a place that feels the most like home, and they can get everything they need in one place without a high price tag.  

Review the Cost of Living in the Community 

The cost of living in the senior living community must be aligned with your budget. Price lists at these communities are available upon request.. Many seniors downsize during retirement and move into these communities because the price of housing is minimal compared to paying for various costs of living for a family home or a smaller house.

To get started, they can calculate a budget and find out how much they can afford each month without hindering their retirement plans.

Does the Community Accommodate Your Lifestyle?

There isn’t just one lifestyle that all seniors follow, and the communities must offer the freedom to live however the residents want during this phase of their lives. 

Comparing how these communities operate and how much oversight there is determines if there are limitations for residents. Communities that have curfews aren’t ideal for seniors who want to come and go as they please at any time of the day or night. Asking administrators questions about the community rules and restrictions helps seniors decide if it is the right home for them during retirement. 

Tour the Senior Apartments

A tour of the senior apartments allows the senior or their loved one to walk through the apartment and determine if the living space is adequate. Independent seniors can get one or two-bedroom apartments within the community, and they are welcome to have visitors and guests stay with them for a limited time. A perk of living in a community is that seniors get the housekeeping, maintenance, laundry services, and landscaping services they need. Communities that offer outdoor space let the residents choose flowers and plants they want around their apartments, and they don’t have to take on a lot of gardening requirements.  

Can You Age in Place?

Retired seniors don’t want to move from one place to another in their golden years, and if they can find a community where they can age in place, it’s really wonderful. It’s also important to consider a community that offers Assisted Living locations. As part of Chelsea Senior Living’s network of communities, living at The Residences at Plainview allows residents to move to any of the company’s Assisted Living communities on Long Island or New Jersey. . A community that offers all the services seniors need throughout their lives lets them move in and age in place, and if they need upgrades for any living spaces, the community accommodates them. Find out more about the on-site wellness program and other terrific amenities at local senior communities. 

Are There Visitor Restrictions?

It’s important for seniors to see their friends and family when they choose. If a senior community limits visitations and has a curfew, some seniors cannot live their lives the way they want. Rules and restrictions of a community could make them less appealing to independent seniors. Once they’ve retired, seniors don’t want to feel like they have to live by someone else’s rules.

Noise level restrictions are fine, but all seniors must have the freedom to have friends and family at their homes as often as they like without an administrator reprimanding them. When searching for the right community, visitor restrictions are something they should inquire about.  

Check the Community’s Credentials and Reviews 

Credentials and reviews for any community give potential residents the information they need to make a well-informed decision about where they will live. A senior community that offers independent and Assisted Living options must have the right accreditation from the appropriate licensing agencies. All staff members must have proper training based on their role within the community, and seniors do not want to move into a community knowing they will need Assisted Living in the future if the staff doesn’t have the formal training required to deliver that level of care. 

Reviews from previous residents and their families show potential residents if there were any significant issues that discourage someone from living there. Complaints against the community for elder abuse or neglect are things that a senior and their family need to know about before the senior moves into the community. Families do not want their seniors to move into any community that presents them with any risks. They need a safe and welcoming environment to age in place and get the best quality of life. 

Lovely Homes for Seniors 

At The Residences at Plainview, we offer exceptional amenities for all seniors, and our community accommodates residents who are able to live independently. Our community offers everything seniors need to age in place and improve their quality of life. Set up a private tour of our community and experience it for yourself.