Choosing a Retirement Home

• Find out what activities are offered and how often. Are their daily activities? Is there a monthly schedule of special activities?
• Ask if there is an emphasis on active living, and activities for all levels of mobility.
• Ask about preventative care programs.
• Find out if the residence offer nutritionally rich meals or specialized menus.
• Ask if steps are taken to keep residents’ minds healthy, as well as their bodies.
• Ask about visits by adjunct health professionals such as speciality physicians, mental health professionals or social workers.
• Ask if there are computers available for Email, Facebook, and other social communication (or other purposes).

• Ask for the activity schedule and meet the activity staff. Ask residents about their favorite activities and events.
• Get copies of any paperwork required for admission along with any helpful documents or pamphlets.
• Ask the residents about their experiences living there.
• Plan to stay for a meal to see the quality of food and the staff in action at one of the most important times of the day.
• Get a copy of the menu – and even take a tour of the kitchen.
• Check stairwells and other low-traffic areas to see how well they are maintained.
• For a full experience, enquire about a trial visit or an overnight stay.

• Ask what the average time is for an ambulance to reach them.
• Find out if the residence has its own hospital transport.
• Ask about the building’s fire safety systems, sprinklers, fire alarms and escape routes and how the staff is trained to deal with emergency evacuation.
• Ask about other onsite security precautions like a front desk monitor, or security cameras.
• If the person you are caring for has dementia or otherwise is at risk when being alone, find out what systems are in place to prevent residents from wondering out on their own.

• Ask what the residence policies are – especially for visiting hours, pets (or visiting pets), use of technology (computers, cell phones, iPads).
• Find out if residents can continue to see their own doctor, and how the nursing staff works with outside medical professionals.
• Ask about policies for decorating and whether residents are permitted (or encouraged!) to decorate their own units as they wish.

A senior residence or nursing home is more than just a place to live. It should bring a positive change in daily living. In a great many cases, residents find their happiness and their health improved by residence living. (Even sometimes to their own surprise!)