Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/633498
14 LIVE IT UP! FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016 SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL I magine being free from the daily concerns of everyday life. No more meal planning, home repairs, and maintenance. Finally your time is your own. Meet new friends, learn a new hobby, participate in new activities. Enjoy the newfound freedom of creating your day with the things that make you happy. Senior living communities are a wonderful way to live comfortably and burden-free. However, finding the right community for you can seem daunting. These ideas will help guide you in the right direction. When looking for a senior living community a good place to start is to ask your family and friends or valued advisors for their recommendations. The internet, local newspapers and publications, as well as senior networks can also provide helpful information. Once you have a list of communities, call and set up an appointment for a tour. Touring the communities is a vital part of this process. Make sure you bring notepaper to take notes as you will be given a lot of information. Bringing a friend or relative for a second opinion and support helps too! During the tour some of the things to look for would be cleanliness and comfort of the facility, quality of the food, friendliness of the staff, and what activities are offered. Be sure to talk with the residents that live there. They have already gone through the process and can provide a wealth of information. Plan on spending at least an hour at the community and try to have a meal there. Once you narrow down your decision you may want to visit one more time to make sure the community has all the amenities that you are looking for. Some questions to ask yourself about a community would be: Does it meet all of your needs? Does it provide the services you are looking for? For example – meal preparation, transportation, entertainment, safety, housekeeping, laundry and maintenance? What about the social, cultural and recreational oppor- tunities? What happens when your health changes and you need more care? Is the community ready to help you with the difficult and important decision when the time comes for more care? Another important aspect, of course, is financial. Is it a buy-in? Do you have to sign a lease? Is it month-to-month? What are the up-front entrance fees? What amenities are included in the base price? You will likely find that you will spend less per month living in a senior living community that takes care of all of your needs rather than staying in a home that needs continual maintenance and repairs! Finding the right senior community takes a little work, but once you've made the move you or a loved one can finally relax, let go of the chores of daily life and enjoy good times like never before! Finding the Right Senior Living Community For You or a Loved One Cathi Burnham is the marketing manager at Dominican Oaks, an independent senior living community in Santa Cruz. By Cathi Burnham, Marketing Manager at Dominican Oaks