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Determining the Right Time to Move

The decision regarding when to move into a senior living community is a very personal one. There is no standard formula that determines the best timing. Generally speaking, however, seniors postpone the decision beyond the optimal time. They delay the decision because of a desire to remain living independently in their home for as long as possible. That is understandable. But, many of the seniors who live in our Cordia Communities tell us they wish they had made the move sooner. Their quality of life improved significantly when they moved from living alone into a community setting.

The best way to determine whether now is the best time to make the move, is to provide honest answers to the following questions:

Are you becoming isolated at home?
Do you skip meals, or eat poorly?
Have the routine chores of home maintenance become too difficult or tedious?
Are you unable to manage your own personal care?
Are you showing signs of forgetfulness that threaten your safety?
Have you stopped getting together with friends or family?
Have you given up hobbies, interests or pursuits that are meaningful?

If the answer to some of the questions above is yes, than you would likely benefit from a move into a community living environment. It is the right time to take advantage of the physical and social benefits of residing in a private apartment surrounded by the support of caring staff and neighbors. But, if the answer to all or most of the questions above is a clear no, the decision to move is solely a matter of individual choice. Does it make sense to move now, when you are able to embrace a new environment and meet new neighbors with high energy and vigor? Or, is it preferable to remain at home with friends and neighbors until a future date or a change in circumstance might make a move more desirable?

Assessing Available Funds

Whether you live in your own home, a condominium, town home or apartment, use the chart below to compare your present monthly expenses with the monthly fee for your apartment and all the services provided at a Cordia Community. It will surprise you to see how favorably living at a retirement community compares financially with your present living situation. Most of those that make this comparison find they are able to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities that are part of living in a Cordia community without increasing their monthly expenditures.

Monthly Expenses	Cordia	Your Present Cost
Rent or Mortgage	Included	$
Real Estate Taxes	Included	$
Property Insurance	Included	$
Home Repairs and Maintenance	Included	$
Groceries and Dining Out	Included	$
Car Payments, Repairs, Maintenance, and Insurance	Included	$
Entertainment and Activities	Included	$
Trash Removal	Included	$
Water and Sewer	Included	$
All Utilities - Except Phone	Included	$
Basic Cable / Satelite Television	Included	$
Lawn and Garden Care / Yard Work	Included	$
Association or Condominium Fees	Included	$
Total Monthly Costs	$	$

Discovering All the Options

It is important in making the right decision, to know all the options available to you. It is usually possible to procure a listing of all senior living communities located across a particular state. In many instances, the best and most complete directories are available either through the state chapter of the Assisted Living Federation of America or in the local New Lifestyles publication. However, they can often also be obtained through local Councils on Aging, social workers, hospital and nursing home discharge planners, and libraries. The local Yellow Page listings are also another good resource. The options listed under Retirement Communities, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes generally provide a comprehensive list of all available options within a particular location.

Evaluating the Options

While word of mouth is often a good indicator of the quality of an individual senior living community, there is no substitute for a personal visit. In most cases a short visit and tour can help you distinguish between the options and arrive at a short list of preferred communities quite quickly. Below is a list of some of the key factors you should observe or ask while visiting a residence:

Is the atmosphere warm and friendly? Can you imagine living here?
Is the staff attentive and friendly? How are they interacting with the residents who live in the community?
Did the staff member meeting with you take the time to learn about you?
Is the building clean?
Is the residence well designed? Is the floor plan easy to follow?
Are they able to provide you with a clear listing of services and their pricing?
Do they offer multiple levels of service?
Are health and/or personal care services offered? If so, with what staffing?
Is there a broad selection of apartments to choose from?
Are the residents out and about and engaged in meaningful ways?

Making the Right Decision

Once you have a short list, plan to spend a good amount of time getting to know the community. At a minimum, you should spend a full day at each community being considered seriously. Plan to attend and participate in scheduled resident activities or programs. Eat at least one meal in the dining room to sample the food. Talk with current residents and their families. Learn what they like and don't like about living at the residence. Meet as many off the senior staff as possible, so you get a feel for the facility. Watch and listen. How do staff and residents interact? How will you feel if you were to live in that community and be talked to or treated in a similar fashion?

If after spending time you are still uncertain, do not hesitate to ask to spend even more time. Most communities will welcome this level of interest on your part. The good ones will look for ways to provide you with greater insight into what they offer. Many even offer guest stays so that a senior who is unsure can actually try out the community before making a commitment. Moving into a retirement community is a significant transition for an individual. Take the time and gather the information you need to be comfortable that you are making the best decision possible.

Evaluating the Options: A Check List
By Dr. Eustace D. Theodore

Over the last decade it has been my pleasure to talk with a number of seniors and family members as they make an important decision - the decision about the �right� retirement community either for themselves or for their loved ones. While there is no �right� community for every individual, paying attention to certain common factors often leads to what seniors ultimately believe is the best outcome. As an academic interested in how people make important decisions in their lives, I hope it will be helpful to your decision making process to have a check-list of factors that produce long-term satisfaction. Interestingly, the questions and the �right� answers are not always obvious!

Ongoing Investments in Quality - Many communities are owned and managed by companies that fail to track the needs of today�s seniors. Quality of the fit and fixtures in a community deteriorate over time; long-term satisfaction is found in communities that evidence ongoing renovation and rehabilitation. Is there clear evidence of ongoing investment by the owners of the community in the physical plant? Is the physical environment improving or deteriorating?

Interesting and Open Common Areas - Initially prospective residents tend to focus on the size or style of individual apartments. Once they move in, however, residents learn that satisfaction is as much related to the quality of the common areas of the community and the life that goes on there. Are common areas set up to support an interesting life-style? Are the corridors wide and welcoming? Does the building have obvious ways of supporting connections between residents, connections that lead to meaningful friendships? Is the building well-designed in general? Is the floor plan easy to learn and navigate?

Life Safety, An Often Overlooked Concern - In many cases, government officials leave many life safety issues up to the individual owners of senior residences. Therefore attention to questions of fire emergency, for example, must be asked. Does the building have a sprinkler system? Is there an emergency plan? Positive answers to these questions are an indication that owners put the welfare of residents first in life safety and, most likely in other less obvious ways.

Stability and Longevity of the Community - While newer communities may be attractive simply because of their more modern infrastructure, there is much to be said for the stability of a community that has been operating under the same banner for many years - as long as the quality of the physical plant is sustained. Does the perspective residence have a track record under the same name? Or, has the name been changed because of prior problems in the community?

Location, Location, Location - Initially seniors believe that closeness to their old neighborhood or to family is essential - the closer the better. But over time seniors begin to realize that what is crucial to their happiness is easy access to major transportation routes, highways that connect throughout the community and make it easy for friends and relatives to visit - and for them to continue to be connected to all areas of the city and county. How convenient is the community to major highways and travel corridors? What is the connection between the community and the local cultural institutions?

Mission Driven Management - Owners of senior residential communities operate under varying missions - indeed there are considerable differences in terms of how much the mission is known and part of each employee�s day to day activity. Resident satisfaction is directly linked to the degree to which the company�s mission attends to the needs of residents. Is the mission focused on the welfare of residents? Is the mission known by employees? Does the day to day activity in the community reflect the mission?

Overall Environment - What are your first impressions of the community? Is the atmosphere warm and friendly? Can you imagine living there? Is the staff attentive and freindly? How are they interacting with the residents who live in the community? Did the staff member meeting with you take the time to learn about you as a person? Are the residents out and about and engaged in meaningful ways?

Sooner is Better - Though every new resident arrives with a unique story about how they have come to move into a senior residence, there is one universal sentiment expressed by those that have been in a senior community for a year or two: "why didn�t I make a move sooner!" Change is never easy, but once a change is made, the significant increase in human interaction and the positive benefits of day to day assistance with the chores of day to day life (cleaning, food preparation and the like) produce immediately positive results. So, the last question to ask is one directed at you, not the senior community: "if not now, when - what could ever make you more �ready�?"

If you have come this far with me you certainly are serious about the process of choosing the right residential community. Given my association with Cordia communities in Illinois and Tennessee I hope you will put us to the test against each one of these criteria. The senior managers at each property and their colleagues throughout our communities look forward to welcoming you. We hope you will question us about Cordia�s commitment to delivering superior choices to seniors.

Glossary of Senior Living Terms

Assisted Living

Assisted Living is a customized combination of housing, personalized supportive services and healthcare designed to meet the needs � both scheduled and unscheduled � of those who need help with activities of daily living.

Independent Living

Independent Living is a residential option for seniors who want to enjoy the benefits of living safely in a community environment while still enjoying the privacy of an independent apartment. Independent living offers the following amenities and services: restaurant-style dining, resident programs, regular housekeeping and linen services, all maintenance services, 24-hour emergency call service, and transportation. Normally, Independent Living communities are rental communities with monthly fees.

Continuing Care
Retirement Community (CCRC)

Continuing Care Retirement Communities offer a continuum of service levels beginning with age-restricted cottages or townhouses, and continuing through Independent Living, Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing. CCRCs offer access to meals, maintenance and club amenities on an a la carte pricing basis for residents of the age-restricted units. Residents of the independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing units enjoy the traditional services and amenities that are associated with those service programs. Continuing Care Retirement Communities normally require an up front buy-in or endowment fee and a monthly service fee rather than a monthly rent.

Personal Care

Personal care services are those services provided to residents to provide direct assistance in performing activities of daily living. Typical services are help with bathing, dressing, medication management, grooming, and mobility. Personal care services are provided by trained resident care assistants (RCAs).

Assistance with Medication Management

In most states, assisted living residences are allowed to assist individuals with their medication management. Normally this entails reminding residents to take a particular dose of a particular medication at a prescribed time, and documenting when all medications were taken.

Service Plan

A Service Plan is a customized menu of services assembled to meet the individual preferences and needs of an individual resident. In most communities, a service plan is outlined and incorporated into the residency agreement before moving into a community. A service plan can change whenever a resident�s needs change.

Residency Agreement

A Residency Agreement is the contract between the resident and the community to provide not only the individual apartment but also all services and amenities.

Needs Assessment

A Needs Assessment is the assessment performed by a staff member of the senior living residence (normally a licensed nurse) to evaluate a prospective resident�s ability to live independently and safely in the community. This assessment is then combined with information provided by the resident and their family as well as a physician to help develop the customized service plan.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Activities of Daily Living are those activities which an individual must perform every day to remain living independently. They include: eating, dressing, mobility, hygiene, grooming, toileting and bathing.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living are those activities which an individual desires to perform on a regular basis when living independently. They include: shopping, laundry, financial management, and using the telephone.


		� 2006 Cordia Senior Living