Tips for Choosing Good Senior Living or Retirement Community in Los Angeles

Take Time Choosing Your Retirement Community.
Take your time choosing an assisted living facility. It's a huge decision and choosing right can mean the difference between regret and a happy retirement.  Each retirement community will come to the table with different skill sets, experiences, services and philosophy. If can plan early enough to interview several-even if you like the first one you meet, your odds of a successful outcome will improve.

Write it Down.
We mentioned this in another article, but it's important. Think about what services or amenities you need from an assisted living facility or nursing home. Jot down all your notes about any details that seem important. Sit down and write this out as detailed as possible; write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how trivial. By writing it down you'll be able to hand each potential retirement community a clear, consistent summary of what you're looking for and expecting. It will also be easier for them to give you clear, complete answers to your questions and concerns.

Get Several Separate Estimates.
When selecting a Los Angeles County assisted living facility, it's not about just finding the lowest bidder. Getting several estimates helps because it will not only help you get an idea of the market value of the service, it will give you a chance to sound out the personalities and policies and customer service of each retirement community before getting involved with them.

Get Everything in Writing.
Nothing is official until it is written and signed. So insist that your retirement community provides you with a detailed document that describes the services, fees, policies, pricing, and any guarantee information. Get it in writing.  Everyone will feel better.

Do Your Homework Before You Sign An Agreement With a Los Angeles County Retirement Community.
To narrow down your choices, do some detective work. Research the retirement community's licensing, insurance and reputation. To help with this, see our article: Key Consumer Resources for Assisted Living and Retirement Communities in Los Angeles County. Verify all of this information before signing the contract.

Choose Certified Retirement Communities.
In Los Angeles County, there is an upper echelon of highly regarded retirement communities and assisted living facilities that insist on delivering the best customer service possible. Seek out local retirement communities that have earned awards or certifications for customer service and you are much more likely to have a better outcome.

Visit the prospective Assisted Living Facility During Different Times.
Before making a decision, it's a good idea to do some drop-in visits during different times to observe overall conditions, cleanliness, the demeanor and appearance of residents, presence of qualified staff, etc. You might also want to drop by unannounced at lunch and dinner to sample the food being served. Do you see family members visiting? Look around; talk to residents, and any visiting family members. This will give you a better sense of the realities of daily life than just taking the scheduled tour.
 
Know Your Rights.
If you have the misfortune of arriving at a disagreement or legal impasse with your assisted living facility, you are protected by certain rights. Start with the California Department of Consumer Affairs Web site (www.dca.ca.gov).

If An Assisted Living Facility or Retirement Community Doesn't Measure Up, Fire Them.
If your chosen assisted living or retirement community turns out to be inadequate in any way, look to the terms of your contract: what obligation do they have to make good? Do you have rights spelled out in the event of legal impasse?  What are they? Essentially, a retirement community's failure to perform under a contract constitutes grounds for dismissal.  But before you decide to terminate residency, weigh your options carefully.  Moving a fragile or elderly person can be much more disrupting than weathering the occasional disagreement with staff at your chosen facility.  Also keep in mind that really good facilities often have wait lists; if you suspect that you might have to move, examine your options thoroughly and get on waitlists as soon as possible.