Over the past thirty-years, senior living and care morphed and branched into various types of services. As consumer demand changed and businesses began offering new types of care, the senior housing and care industry became a growing continuum of care.

Selecting an assisted living community is usually a collaborative effort on the part of the older adult, their family, and perhaps a professional senior housing referral agent. Depending on the circumstances, a health care professional may have input as well to be sure that appropriate care measures are being addressed. Senior living communities aren’t perfect; sometimes problems arise after a move-in has occurred. Issues may come up because expectations are too high and sometimes it just doesn’t turn out to be what we had anticipated. There are instances where things are not going the way they should, and a family member or friend needs to step in and advocate for the older adult.

Broadly speaking, the term “Assisted Living” can mean that “care services are available” at some particular level. This term is often used where a distinction is necessary to differentiate between “retirement or independent living” where care services are not so readily available (or not available at all) and a community or facility in which services are readily available.

We are fortunate to have many types of Assisted Living offered in the Greater Puget Sound area. On one hand, with so many choices available, your chances of finding “just the right fit” are pretty good. On the other hand, there are SO many options to be considered. This article is designed to assist in defining what are the important things to consider as you look into Assisted Living communities.