Texas is home to over 3,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities to accommodate its 4 million senior population.
With so many senior living options, it can be difficult to narrow down the selection to the perfect community for your loved one. Each community has its unique offerings, whether it’s a specific type of care or community amenities and programming for residents.
In today’s post, we’re going to help you make this momentous decision for your loved one. Today, we’ll help you find the top senior living options in Nacogdoches. Your search will start with, “the best assisted living facilities near me”, but after that is where the real work begins.
Fortunately, you’ve got our expertise on your side. Keep reading and learn how to find the right community for your loved one’s specific needs.
Assess Your Loved One’s Needs
Before you can well and truly start your search for the best senior care homes, you need to figure out what your loved one needs. Every senior has unique needs and every community offers unique services.
For instance, if your loved one is healthy but wants to downsize their living situation and be around other seniors, a retirement home is a good choice. These communities are basically like small resorts for seniors that promote socialization, physical health, and nutrition.
When your loved one is starting to slow down and needs help with daily activities, such as dressing, bathing, and cooking, assisted living is the best choice. Assisted living communities provide 24/7 support from highly trained staff to make life easier and more comfortable for residents.
If your loved one is having cognitive issues, they may require memory care. This is a type of assisted living with specialized staff, therapy, and activities geared towards managing symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia, which affects nearly 7 million Americans today.
Create Your Budget
Once you have a good sense of what type of care your loved one needs, you need to crunch some numbers. The average cost of senior living in America is around $4,500 per month, so it’s important to understand what you can afford.
Most good senior living communities will offer customization, so you can prioritize services based on your budget. Maybe you choose a smaller room with fewer amenities or opt out of certain dining options to save a bit of money.
Having a budget in mind is important when you start visiting communities. You never want to have your heart set on a community only to find out that it’s out of your budget.
“Best Assisted Living Facilities Near Me”
Now that you know what you’re looking for and you’ve got a budget in mind, you can start your search. It’s smart to start your senior living search on Google. Here, you’ll see what options are in your area.
Location is important in choosing assisted living. Picking a community that’s both enjoyable for your loved one and accessible for family members makes the transition into senior care much easier.
Another thing you’ll be able to do with a Google search is assess the reputation of local assisted living communities. Assisted living reviews can tell you a great deal about life in a given community.
For example, if there are any issues with rude staff members or poor amenities, you’ll find out in the reviews. They can act as red flags to tell you to look elsewhere for senior care. Pick 3-5 of the communities with the best reputation and book tours with them.
Staff Expertise
When taking a tour of the best senior care homes in your area, there are a few things to pay close attention to. One is the way the staff operates. You should always try to get a sense of the staff’s friendliness, expertise, and compassion.
You want your loved one to get the best possible care. A lot of this comes down to the quality of the staff. Talk to different staff members and watch how they interact with residents.
If your loved one is getting more intensive care, such as memory care, make sure the staff has the appropriate training. There are unique challenges that come with dementia care, so you need to make sure the community’s staff is equipped to handle them.
Amenities and Activities
Day-to-day life in the community is an important consideration as well. Your loved one should have access to a variety of amenities and activities. In terms of amenities, one community might have a gym and spa, while another might have more outdoor space with a pool.
Likewise, all communities have an activity calendar full of daily activities for residents to take part in. These activities should be diverse to accommodate different people’s interests. Look for programming that’s both interesting and engages residents’ mental and physical health.
To boost physical health, a community may offer weekly Tai Chi, yoga, or walking clubs. Seniors need around 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week to help avoid heart problems and diabetes.
When it comes to mental health, socialization is very important. The more social activities in the activity calendar, the less socially isolated residents will feel. In terms of cognitive health, look for activities that challenge and engage residents’ minds, such as book clubs and game nights.
Nutrition and Dining
Most communities will have rooms equipped with full kitchens. Not every senior will want to cook for themselves every night, however. A good community should have an in-house restaurant with a nutritious menu that changes daily.
Nutrition is another thing that can’t be ignored by seniors. A balanced diet goes a long way in maintaining and improving senior health. If the community’s dining options don’t value that, your loved one’s health will suffer.
Get the Best Senior Living Services for Your Loved One
This guide will help you find the top senior living options nearby. It starts with a search for the, “best assisted living facilities near me”, but you need to put in the work to separate the best from the rest.
Meadowview Place Assisted Living is the top assisted living community in Nacogdoches, TX. With amazing staff, countless amenities, nutritious dining, and a thoughtful activity calendar, your loved one can live the best possible life in our community. Contact us today to schedule a tour.
