There are plenty of senior care options in Texas, and once you narrow down your choices of senior living communities, you are ready for the fun part — touring the facilities. Whether you schedule an in-person or virtual senior living tour, you should prepare some questions ahead of time. Knowing what questions to ask can help you get the most out of your senior living tour and help you determine which communities are right for you.
At Buckner Retirement Services, we understand you and your family have busy lives, so we offer a choice between a virtual and in-person senior living tour. Virtual tours allow you to browse our communities from the comfort of your home. This also makes it easier for your family members to view our facilities alongside you. Reach out to us at 214.227.7182 to learn how our virtual and in-person senior living tours work and schedule an appointment.
5 Questions to Ask During a Senior Living Tour
When you first begin touring senior living communities, you may have no idea what to ask, or you may not think of questions until after the tour is over. To help you get the most out of your time during the tour, here are five questions to ask:
1. What are the monthly costs?
Prices can vary significantly from one senior living community to another. The amenities and services offered will also be different for each community, with some amenities included in regular monthly costs and others available at an additional fee. To help you stay within your budget, you must know about the monthly costs associated with each facility. And just like with rent or property taxes, these fees may rise at regular intervals. It is helpful to ask how often monthly costs rise and how much they go up each time.
2. What are the included amenities?
It can be tricky to compare the costs of one community to another. While one facility may have lower monthly fees, it may not include the amenities that a higher-cost community does. For example, an upscale senior living community may include a beauty salon and fitness center among their amenities, which factor into the higher monthly cost. If you choose a community with a lower monthly fee that does not include these services, you may pay more out of pocket when you add up the costs of a gym membership and hair and nail appointments.
3. What are the available dining options?
Some communities have a dining room open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, if you do not eat during standard meal times or you like to snack between meals, you may prefer more flexible dining options. Ask if there are grab-and-go snack options and which hours they are available. If you have dietary restrictions, you should also ask about the availability of meals specific to your needs, such as low-sugar, low-salt, or vegetarian options.
4. What happens if you need a higher level of care?
If you are touring independent senior living, it is important to determine how the community handles a change in your needs. Down the road, you may require assisted living or memory care. If the community does not offer this level of care, you would have to move to another facility. However, some communities offer a full continuum of care so that you can continue to live there as your needs change.
5. What type of activities are offered?
Since you will be living there, you want to know that there will be fun and engaging activities to enjoy regularly. If you lead an active lifestyle, you can ask about the community’s fitness classes, gym, walking trails, and outdoor sports. If you have limited mobility or are interested in more relaxing activities, you can find out about game nights, movies, hobbies, and educational courses.
Schedule an In-Person or Virtual Senior Living Tour with Buckner Retirement Services
One of the best ways to determine if a senior living community is right for you is to take a tour. Buckner Retirement Services understands that it is not always possible to visit each community, so we offer the convenience of virtual senior living tours and our traditional in-person tours. Call us today at 214.227.7182 to schedule a tour where we can answer all of your questions about life in our beautiful senior living communities.