Honest testimonials in senior living are excellent guides when making a decision about your future as a senior adult. When it comes to plans for the retirement community where you plan to spend your later years, you want to make sure to do sufficient research. Your own observations and feelings about a great place to start, but finding out from those who have had direct experience and are able to give senior living testimonials is essential before committing to a community.
Buckner Retirement Services operates six quality, luxury retirement communities in Texas. Each one offers our residents services and opportunities that we are proud of. We hope you’ll review our senior care testimonials and contact us if you have any questions. Find out more about Buckner Retirement Services by calling us at 214.227.7182.
What Makes a Good Senior Living Testimonial?
When you are looking at testimonials—which are basically customer reviews—for a senior community such as Buckner, you want to be sure that they are verifiable. Third-party reviews or testimonials are excellent; this means reviews that are not posted by the organization itself. On Google, for example, you can look at reviews and see how many 1-star vs. 5-star reviews a business has and everything in between.
However, verifying testimonials on a senior living site is also possible. Here are a few things to look for:
Specific Information
Detailed information will help you verify that the person writing the review is being truthful. Pay attention to whether they’ve engaged with a particular staff member or have knowledge of things like the quality of the food, etc.
A Variety of Services
Are all the senior care testimonials about the fitness center, while none seem to discuss the food, housing, classes, or spa? A narrow range could be a red flag.
Written by Real People
Often, a business will ask the person giving the review if they can use their first name and photograph or if they would be available to talk to prospective residents should they request it.
How Are Problems Addressed?
No business is perfect. If the senior living center you are interested in is willing to post testimonials that discuss positive resolutions to problems, that means they acknowledge that problems are a normal part of life but are proud of their management of any issues.
Are There Photos or Videos?
Some senior care testimonial pages let the reviewer include photos or do their testimonial on video. This shows the resident in the setting, either engaged in a fun activity, enjoying a meal in the dining room, or relaxing with friends in the lounge or outside. Videos and photos add authenticity and support the review itself.
When you call us, be sure to ask how you can access resident testimonials about Buckner, specifically at the location you are most interested in.
Additional Information Gained from Senior Living Testimonials
Whenever people make important decisions, they feel more secure knowing that others have strong positive feelings about the service or product they are about to purchase. This is called social proof. Being able to trust the authenticity of senior living testimonials is critical.
If you come across a preponderance of positive reviews and testimonials, there are additional ways to confirm the validity of the information.
- Social media – If a senior living community has an active social media presence, with frequent posts of seniors enjoying the amenities, there is a sense that the good news is ongoing, not based on a narrow time frame or a small group of people. Check out our Instagram (@bucknersrliving) and Facebook pages (Buckner Retirement Services) for fun posts featuring our residents and staff.
- Local press – Are there examples of positive press from local media? Often, the local press will cover events or holidays at a senior living center. Not every senior community will have press coverage to share, but if they do, that is another way to access confirmation.
- Meet our residents – The most valuable proof you can get is the kind you get in person. Visit a senior living center and mingle with the residents. See what they are talking about. Do they look happy and content? Are they busy and active? Ask them questions about the things that matter to you.
You want to make the best possible decision when it comes to your future. Take the time to visit a senior living community on multiple occasions and do any research necessary to ensure that you feel good about your decision.
Call Buckner Today to Schedule a Visit for Senior Care Services
We hope you’ll review our senior care testimonials and set up a time to tour one of our locations. Set up a visit today by calling 214.227.7182 or submitting our online contact form. We look forward to hosting you.