A question we’re often asked is, “What is the best San Diego assisted living?” Our answer is always the same.
There is no “best” San Diego assisting living.
The best San Diego assisted living is the place where your elderly love one will get high quality care, where they will feel comfort, and that is in a location and budget that works for you.
Feeling comfort can be challenging, as placing a loved one in assisted living is not always something everyone agrees on.
But striving for that goal is most important. A senior’s health will reflect their feeling of being cared for and secure in their environment.
What To Consider When Looking for The Best Assisted Living
Part of feeling comfort comes from seniors feeling at home in their new environment.
Perhaps the assisted living community or home is in the same part of San Diego County the senior has lived in for years. Perhaps it’s closer to family for regular visits.
For seniors who are ambulatory and able to go out, this familiarity will be more important.
For other seniors, feeling at home may not necessarily mean living in the same neighborhood, but living in a community or board and care home that “feels” like home.
If a senior is coming from a rural setting, this will seem like home. If they are coming from an urban setting, this will seem like home.
What is the look and feel of the community? Is it similar to the look and feel of the senior’s home?
San Diego County is a big place with lots of care options. But there may not be the right assisted living community in your neighborhood.
This makes it very important for the senior to bring with them as much of their personal furniture, decorations and other items as will safely fit in their new apartment or room.
This, above all else, will make their new senior community feel most like home.
More On The "Best" San Diego Assisted Living Community
What else makes the best San Diego assisted living?
The answer is the care the community provides. So how can you determine quality of care?
First, visit the community several times and speak with lots of different people.
Second, check the facts.
Third, consider using a placement service like Elder Answers.
What Is The First Step?
Visit the community several times before making any decisions. Visit at various times of the day and at least once without an appointment. And always enjoy a meal or two at the community before you decide. Good food is important.
Speak with lots of different people, not just the marketing representatives.
You can speak with:
- The executive director
- The nurse (if they have one)
- The med techs
- The care staff
- The activities director
- The bus driver
Then ask yourself:
- Do the residents seem happy?
- Do they appear clean, groomed and well cared for?
- How is the food?
- How does the staff interact with the residents?
- What is your gut feeling about the place?
And remember – happy residents, clean, neat and free of smells is always more important than fancy.
What Is The Second Step?
The second important step in determining quality of care is to check the facts.
Go to the California Department of Social Services website and look at the licensing report for any assisted living community you’re considering. We check these reports regularly.
- When was the assisted living community or home last inspected?
- Were any citations given and if so, what for?
- Have any complaints been filed recently? If so, were they found to be substantiated or unsubstantiated?
As you read through the reports, keep in mind that assisted living communities are run and operated by human beings, often times under challenging circumstances.
No community is perfect and things happen, so be sure to ask about anything that concerns you in those licensing reports before making any false assumptions.
And please contact Elder Answers with any questions. We’re happy to help you find the “best San Diego assisted living” for your family.
