The top five things you should do:

1. Discover what retirement communities are located in the area where you want to live.
   
   Consider carefully the things you want to be close to: family, friends, your house of worship, cultural attractions, transportation, stores, medical professionals and pharmacies. Weather may also be an important factor for you.
   
   It is a good idea to drive by the various retirement communities to get your first impression of the appearance, architecture and location. It is also good to check the web site of each area retirement community. The web site will provide key information about the services that are offered and the accommodations.
   
   Other pertinent information may be obtained from the Department of Human Resources Licensing and Survey reports. The information may be obtained via the internet, at the local Department of Human Resources or any retirement community that has a licensed nursing wing or assisted living unit. The Dunn and Bradstreet Financial Rating, the State Nursing Home Association, The Better Business Bureau and Long-Term-Care Ombudsman are four additional agencies where retirement community stability and historical information may be obtained. 
   
   
   
2. Meet the staff.
   
   Call for an appointment and meet the staff. All retirement communities are run by an executive director and department managers. These include nursing, marketing, dietary, housekeeping, laundry, social services, recreational activities, maintenance, security, business and transportation.
   
   Make an appointment with the director of marketing or the admissions coordinator. They will show you around the property and introduce you to the staff and management who will answer any questions you may have. It is important to assess the length of employment of the executive director and key managers, their educational credentials, experience and licenses.
   
   
   
3. Tour the property to assess the accommodations, safety features and accessibility.
   
   A tour of the retirement community is imperative to assess the types and sizes of the accommodations. Safety features, emergency response equipment and handicap accessibility are important features of the tour. The tour allows you to evaluate the size of the space needed for your furnishings and the available storage space.
   
   The cleanliness and maintenance or upkeep of the property may also be assessed on the tour. Staff-resident interactions, social activities and residents’ appearance may also be observed.
   
   
   
4. Become informed about the types of contracts, services, amenities and the continuum of care.
   
   During the initial and follow-up interviews and tour, it is vital to be informed about the amenities, services and levels of care that are provided and included in the admission contract. It is imperative that you be advised about whether the retirement community is a buy-in or lease arrangement, the price, refund policy, pet policy, etc. All amenities such as meals, housekeeping and laundry/linen service, telephone, cable television, transportation and social activities should be explained.
   
   The social or recreational activity program should be assessed when making the decision about your future lifestyle. An activities or social calendar should be available for you to review. A varied program of activities offering mental or sensory stimulating activities, physical activities and cultural entertainment should be included so that a resident has multiple daily options and may be as active as they choose to be.
   
   A transportation program should be provided to assure transportation to doctor’s appointments and other essential pickups, deliveries or personal transportation to shop, obtain medications and other essentials.
   
   A full service, multilevel continuum of care retirement community offers levels of care that range from independent living, to assisted living or personal care to skilled nursing care.
   
   
   
5. Consider an insider’s view of the community.
   
   Feel free to ask people how they like the community. Communicate with residents, their families and friends. Plan an overnight stay. You should be given the opportunity to see what it’s like to live in the community before actually moving in. Join in for meals or take part in special trips, tours, and programs.