Assisted living providers are great for senior citizens. There are many assisted living providers in the U.S., but of course the quality of care varies. If your aging parent is in need of an assisted living center, you wouldn’t want them to be living anywhere other than the best. So it’s essential that you do plenty of research beforehand and know what to look for.

Ask What Kind of Activities Are Offered
Most assisted living facilities have amenities like fitness centers, libraries, entertainment areas, community centers, beauty parlors, and outdoor recreational areas. It’s important that the center you choose actually encourages each resident to participate in the activities that are offered. Just because a living facility offers fun and engaging activities, doesn’t mean anyone actually takes part. If the residents aren’t nudged to try new things and participate in fun activities, they might not want to do it themselves. Find an assisted living facility that has a culture of participation.

Ask About Staff Experience and Talk to a Few Employees
You don’t want your parent to be left with grumpy staffers or uninterested employees who would rather text their friends than spend time with the residents. When searching for quality assisted living providers, ask to speak with a few employees and observe them while they are actually doing their job. If you see them having fun with their residents, treating them with respect, and actually listening to their needs, you should feel comfortable with that particular facility. If the workers are rude, ignoring the residents, or just seem disengaged, maybe think twice about that place. Working in the assisted living industry isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine, but you should only feel comfortable leaving your parent in the care of employees who are 100% committed to the betterment of each and every senior in their care.

Ask Other Residents and Other Family Member
The best way to determine if a place is great or not for your parent is to actually speak with people in your situation. Talk to families with a loved one in nursing homes and find out what they like and or dislike about certain facilities. Speak to the residents themselves and really ask them if they enjoy living there or not.

The most important thing to remember when making this decision is that your parent is the one who will actually be living there. At any point, if they don’t feel 100% comfortable with the particular living facility you’re visiting, it’s time to move on and check out somewhere that’s a better fit.