The right assisted living community in Fort Worth can change your life. If that sounds like an extreme claim, think again. Assisted living can keep you safe and healthy, reduce loneliness and isolation, and even help you live longer by encouraging regular fun exercise and serving up delicious and healthy meals. Yet assisted living communities are not interchangeable. Some are vibrant places of adventure and joy, while others offer a decidedly more sedate community. No matter what you seek in retirement, here are five things to look for in an assisted living community in Fort Worth.
Exceptional Care
Exceptional care isn’t the only thing you need, but it’s the first priority — the benchmark a community must meet before you give it further consideration. Some things to ask about quality of care include:
- With what activities can the community help?
- What training does the staff have?
- Do staff establish long-term relationships with residents?
- When you visit the community, do the staff have meaningful, warm interactions with residents?
- Does the community have experience managing the specific challenges you face?
The Right Amenities
The best assisted living communities offer a wide range of amenities. Don’t get distracted by long lists, though. Consider which amenities are most important to you. Some common offerings include:
- Gourmet meals tailored to your specific nutritional needs
- Luxury apartments and condos
- Stunning landscaping
- Beautiful common areas where you can entertain
- Classes, field trips, and volunteer opportunities
- Concierge services
- Transportation
- Housekeeping
Plenty of Activities
No matter how you hope to spend your retirement, odds are good that “bored” is not on the list. The right community offers a wide range of activities tailored to every personality and taste. You might enjoy yoga, bingo, card games, live music, and more. Be sure to get specific details about the various activities a community provides. Does the community celebrate the holidays and other special events in meaningful ways? Are there daily classes or activities? How frequent are community outings?
When you visit the community, try chatting up residents and asking how they spend their days. The best sources of information on an assisted living community in Fort Worth are almost always the people who live there, so spend some time getting to know the folks who might eventually be your neighbors.
Flexible Options
The best communities cater to a wide variety of needs, personalities, and health issues. You should be able to choose from several different apartment types. There should be more than one daily activity, and special events should cater to people of a variety of events and backgrounds. The community should welcome your spouse to live with you, provide family-friendly activities to which you can bring loved ones, and offer a continuum of care. If you have a chronic or degenerative condition, a continuum of care is especially important because it means you won’t have to move if your needs change.
Exceptional Value
It’s easy to focus solely on the assisted living price tag, but what you really need to assess is total value. What amenities do you get? How much might the right community improve your life? And do you have a long-term care or insurance plan that might help cover the costs? Opt for the community that offers the greatest possible value — not necessarily the cheapest price.
Assisted living can be more affordable than you think, particularly when you give up the obligations of homeownership. To compare costs, check out our Senior Living Cost Calculator.
The Arbor Company has catered to seniors for more than three decades. We believe in unique, innovative retirement support — not a one-size-fits-all approach. We’re here to help you no matter where you are in your retirement journey. To learn more, check out our free guide, “Finding a Safe and Comfortable Senior Living Community.”
