Senior Living Community Thoughts

We understand that your loved one deserves the best, and that is exactly what we strive to provide each day at Pipestone Place Assisted Living. We know that you can’t just choose any assisted living or dementia care facility and expect to get the best treatment for your loved one. As a caregiver, your loved one’s health, safety, and happiness are all key factors in this decision. So, whether you have just begun your search into assisted living communities or you need to move quickly, you will still need to do thorough research to ensure your loved one will be in good hands.

Moving a loved one into an assisted living community can be overwhelming, but at Pipestone Place Assisted Living, we completely understand this is a crucial decision. This type of decision is never an easy one, but one that can support you, your family and your loved one mentally, physically, and emotionally.

There are many steps to consider when immersing yourself in the process of finding the best assisted living memory care facility near you, but at some point, you are going to have to visit and tour the facilities you feel are the best fit, and in order to make an educated decision, you will want to ask plenty of questions.

So, what is going to be the deciding factor for your family? Let us share some valuable insight before you embark upon your journey. Before you begin touring facilities, either in person or virtually, it’s a great idea to make a list of questions that you want to ensure you get answers to, so you don’t overlook any critical factors when it comes to the health and happiness of your loved one. So, what kinds of questions should be topping your list? Let’s explore some options that you may want to jot down before your next tour or virtual visit.

What About My Loved One’s Specific Health Needs or Requirements?

No two people are the same, so everyone residing in a senior living facility will need to have a different level of support and different types of care. For example, if your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia and needs memory care support, you may want to inquire about the level of services and amenities provided to residents. Ask specific questions about their care plan and how it is determined to ensure the individual needs of your family member will be addressed.

Never feel like you are imposing when it comes to the care of your loved one. At Pipestone Place Assisted Living, we believe you can never ask too many questions when it comes to your loved one’s health and wellness.

What Kinds of Activities Do You Offer?

One of the most important questions you can ask is about the activities that the senior living community or residential care home has to offer. But it isn’t enough to just have activities – these activities need to be things that you know your loved one will want to and can participate in including programs that encourage socialization and supports cognitive function.

Another question to ask is whether there are activities that family members can attend. These are often larger scale activities that allow you to visit your loved one and get a feel for what is going on while you aren’t there. Being able and welcome to participate in activities with your loved one should be on your radar when it comes to key questions to ask while touring. If you cannot attend tours or visits in person, you may want to ask about virtual visitations and see if you can secure information that way. At Pipestone Place Assisted Living, we understand that you want to feel as connected as possible to your loved one while still ensuring their health and safety.

What About the Food?

In addition to socialization and ensuring a healthy, well-balanced diet, food is also a creature of comfort as we age, so be sure to ask about the meals your loved one will be served, and try to determine if the menu is really suited to what they actually like as well as their dietary needs.

Of course, you will also want to check in on how they track allergies, weight loss or gain, and any sugar tracking they need to do for seniors with diabetes. Food choice and quality is something that affects your loved one’s daily life, so this is definitely something to inquire about. You may also want to ask about how the menus are created, how often they rotate, and maybe even about special celebrations and holiday menus.

What About Other Creature Comforts?

You don’t want your loved one to just survive, do you? No, you want them to live and thrive! You want to show up on a Saturday morning and see them enjoying life or call only to discover that they’re enjoying an activity. Think about quality of life and what made your loved one’s life full when they were living independently to ensure that they can continue to live their best life at their new senior living home.

Who is the Main Point of Contact?

Like we said, this is a monumental, life-changing decision that you must put your whole mind, heart, and soul into. So, chances are that you are going to be overwhelmed with the amount of information thrown at you during your visit whether in person or virtually. While you are there, you are going to forget some of the questions that you had – and that’s completely okay. It happens to everyone! But with this in mind, be sure to ask for the contact card of someone who you can reach out to when you remember your questions or as you try to narrow down your list of best possible options.

Want to Visit an Assisted Living Facility? Contact Us Today

Make your list – check it twice – and then come see us! As you start your hunt for an assisted living community for your loved one, be sure to give Pipestone Place Assisted Living a long look. Our team works passionately to provide safe, loving, and stimulating environments for our residents with memory loss who can no longer live independently but still should live life to the fullest. We provide our residents with stable caregiver relationships, stimulating activities and good nutrition to ensure quality care. At Pipestone Place Assisted Living, every question is a great question!

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I enjoy working, but when I’m not working, I love spending time with my family and the coolest kid, my son.We visit the zoo and ride the train often. We play games and just have fabulous fun.I enjoy reading every chance I get.My favorite pie is pumpkin pie.
Samuel Vesa
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