How To Choose An Assisted Living Home

Are You Looking for a New Place for an Elderly Loved One? There are many variables to consider when searching for the right Assisted Living Home for your family. Many people are choosing to move their family members into more ‘Home-like’ environments with more personal care instead of traditional nursing homes. Assisted Living Homes were created to give the Elderly more independence, preserve dignity, choice and quality of life. It is important to properly interview each place you visit to make sure your needs and desires are present and actively practiced.

With 31,000 licensed assisted living communities across the country, there are many options to choose from. Here are a few areas to consider as you are looking for the perfect place for you or your loved one.

Environment / Surroundings:

When looking for a home, it is important to think about where the home is located and if the environment fits your needs. You also have a choice between a large facility or a Residential Home environment like Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home Mesa AZ.

Questions to consider: Is it in a central location for your needs? Is it close to a pharmacy? Is it close to friends and family? Is it in a good neighborhood?

Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home is a large home located in a nice upscale neighborhood surrounded by citrus trees. There is also a pharmacy 2 minutes away. We are a smaller and more intimate facility. Fairbrook Grove Assisted living Home in Mesa Az has 10 residents, creating a more intimate, friendship building environment.

Physical Features

When entering a home, look around for the details that matter. You want a home that smells nice, is clean, and nicely decorated. This makes day to day living so much more enjoyable and you know the place is well taken care of.

Questions to consider: Is the home inviting? Are the rooms a good size and create a sense of coming home? Is the home clean?

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home, we take pride in our home and the family atmosphere we have created. We have 9 rooms available in our home. 8 independent rooms and 1 shared room- the master bedroom. Our wonderful caregivers work diligently to keep the house clean and inviting every day.

Costs & Finances

Each Assisted Living Home has its own agreement to what the facility provides, and what the family/person brings in. It is important to discuss these details to make sure you know what is included in the monthly fee and what is not.

Questions to consider: What is included in the monthly price? Will there be extra expenses? What does the family provide? What does the Assisted Living Home provide? What is the best way to pay each month? What is the best way for me to cut costs?

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home, some things the monthly cost includes are 24 hour care, Registered Nurse on site, medication management, food, activities/entertainment and housekeeping. Families pay for incontinence supplies, medications, some furnishings, hygiene products and other personal need items.

Medications and Medical Involvement

Proper handling of medications is very important. You want to make sure they are responsibly taken care of and administered correctly to your loved one. Also there are many options for medical involvement in and out of the home. Ask as many questions as you need, to make sure all your bases are covered.

Questions to consider: Who is in charge of the medications? How will they be given to my loved one each day? Do I need to pick them up from the pharmacy or can they be delivered? Does the family cover the medication costs? Is transportation provided to go to the doctors office? Is there a doctor that can come to the home and assess each person? Do other healthcare providers come into the Assisted Living in Mesa Az?

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home, Julie the RN and Certified Manager, is in charge of organizing medications, getting refills from the pharmacy and filling medi-sets for each week. The Certified Caregivers are properly trained and administer the medications responsibly. We have Walgreens, Walmart and CVS pharmacies 2 minutes away and Julie can pick up medications when needed if the family chooses to use any of those pharmacies. Families and insurance pays for medications. We do not provide transportation anywhere outside of the home. But if families are willing to change doctors, we have a wonderful doctor or Nurse Practitioner that comes into our home to assess the residents monthly. Many other health providers like physical therapists, podiatrists, cardiologists, x-ray techs, blood work professionals and more can come into the home to provide services.

Bedroom Features

Creating a warm and happy bedroom can bring someone joy. It’s important to look for a room that can fit your treasured belongings and is a welcoming environment.

Questions to consider: How big of room do I need? Can we bring our own furniture? Is any furniture provided? Is a bed provided? Can I decorate? Can I bring a TV? Do I get to have all my own things around me? Is the view out the window something you might enjoy?

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home, the rooms are different sizes according to the person's needs or what is available at the time of the tour. When someone moves in they are given a clean, empty room to fill with their own things and furniture. Some rooms come fully furnished if desired. Each person can bring their favorite things to decorate and accessorize their room. We recommend each resident decorates and brings their own family pictures and keepsakes to make their room feel like home. This really increases the sense of home and belonging. We do recommend, for liability purposes, things like jewelry and expensive keepsakes not be brought to the home. Residents are welcome to bring a TV, and cable and Wifi is provided in each room. Many of the rooms have a beautiful view out their window, with bird feeders, citrus trees, and more.

Social & Recreational Activities

Having friends and happy faces around us each day can make a big difference. When looking for an Assisted Living Home, you want to make sure they have some recreational activities and social things to help your loved one feel included and happy.

Questions to consider: Do the homes have weekly activities?Do the people there seem happy when you talk with them? Can each person choose if they want to be a part of each activity or not? Are there different activities for different levels of needs? Will your loved one have enough stimulation at this home?

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home in Mesa AZ, we believe that good care means taking care of their emotional and mental needs as well as their physical needs. We have activities each week, like musical performances, bingo, church services and parties multiple times a year. Everyone is invited and can choose to participate or not. (The Activities have been altered at this time during the Covid-19 situation).

Food

With so many possible physical and mental limitations in the golden years, food is one of the few things an elderly person can truly enjoy. Making sure the food is healthy and delicious is a necessity and part of enjoying life each day.

Questions to consider: Does the home provide healthy home cooked meals? What kind of meals are served each week? If my loved one has food limitations, can they accommodate them? Is there dessert? Are there fresh fruits and vegetables?

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home, we make sure that healthy yummy food is served everyday. Julie, RN and Certified Manager, is also a Holistic Nutrition Specialist and makes sure that vegetables, fruits, and whole foods are given to the residents every day. Each day the residents also receive probiotics to help with their digestion, gut health and immune system by receiving kefir and probiotics in a pill form. We accommodate dietary needs as necessary.

We hope these topics and questions can help you in choosing the right Assisted Living Home for you or your loved one. If you would like to come tour the high-class Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home in Mesa Az, please call the Certified Manager and RN, Julie at 480-215-2940 to see if there is any availability or to schedule a tour.

-The Fairbrook Grove Management Team