To make good choices, we need the right information. That’s where a good residency counselor can be indispensable — to answer your questions and help you determine the right move (even if that means no move) for you, your budget and your personal situation.
To make the best choices, we also need adequate time to think things through. A good residency counselor can be helpful here, as well. Although it’s part of the residency counselor’s job to promote the retirement community where he or she works, you shouldn’t feel pressured to make a decision unless and until you’re ready. It’s one thing to let you know about pricing or move-in specials the community might be running for a limited time. It’s another thing to try to persuade you to make a commitment by a certain deadline if you’re just not prepared to do so.
A residency counselor will often be your first point of personal contact with a given retirement community. If you provide your contact information on a community’s website, more than likely it will be a residency counselor who reaches out to you in response. He or she will offer to answer any questions you might have and ask if you’d like to come tour the community.
If you initiate contact with the community in person, you’ll probably start at the sales office. That’s usually where you’ll find residency counselors when they’re not out in the community showing another potential resident around. You’ll also find brochures and other printed materials there that provide a wealth of information about the community — but no brochure will tell you everything you’ll want to know before making a decision.
It’s important that you feel comfortable asking as many questions as it takes to get the information you seek. There’s no reason for you ever to feel as though you’re being too much trouble. It’s the residency counselor’s responsibility to:
- Make sure you feel welcome
- Show you around and give you a sense of what it would be like to live in the community
- Assist you in determining whether you can afford to live there
- Provide as much information as possible about the community so you can avoid surprises after you’ve made your decision
- Point you toward other people who can help you with your decision and your move, should you decide to make the community your new home
Before you have that first conversation
If you’re comfortable doing some research on your own, you can glean a great deal from a community’s website before you engage with a residency counselor. You can also call and ask for a brochure to be mailed.
At the very least, you might want to jot down a list of basic questions to ask that will help you quickly determine whether you want to learn more about the community. Once you’ve prepared your list of questions, it’s a good idea to prioritize them. If, for instance, you have a dog that must move with you, you may as well ask right up front if the community allows pets.
Here are some general points to think about while you’re visiting a community’s website, reading through a brochure or developing your list of questions:
- Does the community offer the type of home I want (single-family home, condominium, townhome, apartment)?
- What types of services and amenities does the community offer? (This could be a long list, and it’s a question that you should definitely pose to a residency counselor — but the website or brochure will highlight some of the main ones.)
- Are there restaurants or a dining room in the community? Is there a meal plan?
- Are pets allowed?
- Can I bring my vehicle? What’s parking like in the community? Is there a shuttle or other transportation for shopping, medical appointments, etc.?
- How far would I need to go to see a primary care physician or specialists, obtain urgent or emergent care, or be admitted to a hospital? Is there a health clinic or doctor-in-residence in the community?
- What types of social and fitness activities does the community offer?
- Is there a chapel in the community, or churches nearby?
- What types of security are in place?
- Is there a medical alert system?
- What kind of “personality” does the community have? (Is it upscale and perhaps somewhat formal? Casual and comfortable? Is there an emphasis on socializing? You can probably get a sense of the community’s culture from the website or brochure.)
- How much does it cost to live there? (This may be the most important question in the end, but there’s not much point in asking it if the questions above will help you eliminate some of your options first. Many communities may offer price ranges or ‘starting at’ pricing, but this is a question you’ll need to discuss with a residency counselor.)
- What types of care are available in the community, should I need it (assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care)? Is the community a Life Plan or Life Care Community?
Where a Residency Counselor will be most helpful
Browsing a website or brochure will only get you so far. There are some questions that only a person who’s thoroughly familiar with the specific community can answer, and that’s where the Residency Counselor will shine.
Once you’ve discussed the relevant questions in the list above, requesting a tour of the community and reviewing finances and contracts should be key areas of dialogue with the Residency Counselor.
The nitty-gritty details can be a challenge to wrap your brain around but take comfort in knowing that Residency Counselors are accustomed to explaining them to people with all kinds of backgrounds.
Even if numbers aren’t your thing, a Residency Counselor should be able to help you understand:
- The different types of contracts the community offers and specific terms within those contracts (e.g., purchase versus lease, entrance fees, buy-in fees, recurring monthly fees, Life Care provisions)
- Which utilities and services are included and how your monthly bills would compare with what you’re currently paying
- What’s considered “extra”
- Other information you’ll need in order to determine if living in the community is within your budget
Other questions to ask a Residency Counselor
There are dozens of factors that will weigh into your decision to either learn more about a community or turn your attention to the next one. Some will pertain solely to your unique set of circumstances. However, here are few more you’ll want to be sure to bring up during your conversation(s) with the Residency Counselor:
- Is move-in assistance available?
- Are there any restrictions on family visits?
- What’s the refund policy, in case I change my mind?
- Can I talk with some of the current residents?
- What happens if at some point I can’t continue to pay? Are special reserve funds available?
- Do I qualify?
- Is there a waiting list, and if so, how long is it?
If you’re moving from another state, or even from a different region of the same state, a Residency Counselor can also be an excellent source of information about the local culture, the climate, what sorts of amenities and attractions are within easy traveling distance of the community (e.g., sports and entertainment venues, shopping, libraries, community colleges, golf courses, volunteer organizations) and much more.
As noted earlier, a good Residency Counselor will want to help you make the best possible choice, even if that ends up being the decision to stay in your current home.
To meet with a Sun Health Communities residency counselor, we invite you to request more information for any of our three Communities Locations.
