How to Choose an Assisted Living Facility

Holzer Assisted Living communities are located in both Gallipolis and Jackson. These facilities provide a comfortable, homelike environment, along with security, independence, privacy, companionship, and physical and social well-being.

You should begin to choose an assisted living facility in much the same way you would prepare for the purchase of a new home. Do comparisons. Make a list of several facilities in your area, and prepare to do many of the same things you would do in hunting for the perfect house. Consider location and community, comfort and style, price and available services.

Of course, an Assisted Living community is much more, and your search will require you to be both more thorough and more demanding. The State of Ohio does not specifically license Assisted Living facilities; however, the Ohio Department of Health does license nursing facilities and residential care facilities. Since many assisted living facilities provide residential and nursing care, they will have licenses in these areas.

Depending on the facility, it could be a small home offering services to just a few people, or a high-rise with space for hundreds of residents. Living areas range from single rooms to full apartments with a private bath and kitchen. Most facilities offer prepared meals, served in a common dining area or in the resident’s own apartment.

You need to consider whether or not the size and services of the facilities you investigate are right for you.

Make Contact

Once you have your list of assisted living facilities in your area, call each one. Are you treated well on the phone? Did they satisfactorily answer your questions and offer to send you any information you may have asked for? Brochures are nice, but are they willing to send you a written list of rules and residents’ rights, as well a copy of any agreement that will need to be signed before moving in? Once you receive the materials, read them over carefully and make a list of questions to ask on your next call or when you decide to visit.

Plan to Visit

Plan to visit the top assisted living facilities on your list. There is no substitute for experiencing what the facility has to offer in person. Meet the staff and take a tour. As you do, pay attention to your common sense and intuition. Talk to a resident or two, asking them what they like and don’t like about the facility, and about the level of services and care they receive.

If one assisted living facility makes it to the top of your list, plan to make another, unscheduled visit. Go on a weekend or during the evening on a weekday. It is always easy for staff to be on their best behavior during a planned visit, but how well you are treated and how the facility looks and operates when they do not expect you can tell a great deal about the actual day to day operations of the facility.

Does the facility offer the level of services and care that you or your loved one will need, not only today but in the future. What if conditions worsen and disabilities increase?

Holzer Assisted Living facilities in Gallipolis and Jackson provide spacious private apartments in several styles, each with private bathrooms. The apartments are carpeted, and furnishings are provided by the residents in order to help create a homelike environment and continuing sense of independence. Residents able to drive may bring their own cars.

At Holzer Assisted Living, we strive to provide a homelike environment. An experienced nursing staff and resident assistants are on duty 24 hours a day to provide healthcare and personal assistance with bathing, dressing, and medication administration as needed. A medical director and physician are on staff to coordinate medical services and see residents as needed.

Three daily meals are served. There are activity programs, church groups, van rides, and outings. We strive to meet a variety of necessary services, including dietician services, a pharmacy, quarterly podiatry services, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and more. A community laundry is available.

Occupancy Agreements and Contracts

Just as you would carefully review any agreement in the purchase of a home, your contract with an assisted living facility is a legal document of great importance. Review it with everything you have heard and been promised in mind. Make sure you understand what the agreement is saying, and consider reviewing it with your personal financial and legal advisors. Remember, a reputable assisted living facility expects you to review their contract carefully and will offer assistance in helping you understand it or in making reasonable changes as needed.

An assisted living facility can offer you or your loved one a level of independence, social activity, and care that otherwise would be impossible. But just as you would not move into a new neighborhood, sight unseen, you should carefully pick and choose among the facilities available until you find just the right one to meet your current and future needs.

Common Misconceptions About Assisted Living

Have you or your loved one ever had any of these misconceptions about assisted living?

• That assisted living is not appropriate for persons who require a wheel chair or other devices.
• That physical and other therapies are not an option in an assisted living setting.
• That it is not appropriate to place a loved one in assisted living if they have problems with incontinence.
• That due to physical or mental disabilities, your loved one is beyond the services provided in an assisted living setting.

An assisted living setting can be a welcoming and homelike experience for seniors and the elderly at many stages of both capability and disability. Our staff is dedicated to providing a comfortable, homelike environment, along with security, independence, privacy, companionship, and physical and social well-being.