When it comes to choosing a retirement community or senior living facility, prospective residents and their family members typically have a list of criteria in their mind that will help narrow down their options. Primary factors to consider are lifestyle offerings, amenities available, price, apartment size, location, activity choices, etc. In fact, many communities even provide checklists and comparison sheets that specify these points of difference and more… ultimately showing that their community is the choice that stands above the rest. Funny how that works, isn’t it? Every community is better than the other!
It’s important to remember that when you get down to it, senior living communities offer very similar things. Sure, some are newer than others, some are more affordable than others, and some have larger apartments. But aside from price and aesthetics, perhaps the biggest differences can be found in the people who work in, and manage, senior communities.
The best senior communities have the best people who work in them
In our experience we’ve found that the best senior communities are ones with valued direct care staff, supportive community managers, and an involved corporate team that helps the community provide exceptional care to residents and family members. When people love the work they do and enjoy the people they work with, resident care is better, activity programs are more fun, the dining experience is more enjoyable, and, in turn, residents are happier, more fulfilled, and more satisfied.
So when you’re touring a community, take special note of the people in uniform. Are they happy and friendly or do they look like flustered and rushing from one task to the next? Do they make eye contact with you, smile, and say hello, or are they looking everywhere else but in your direction? If you can speak with someone in the community, whether in marketing or housekeeping, ask them to tell you what they like about their job. Based on their answer and their expression, it will be easy to see a genuine answer from one that is not!
The best senior communities have the best people who manage them
But beyond the people who work inside the building, you might consider doing some research on the company that manages the senior community. Visit their website, peek around, and try to answer a few questions. How big is the company and how many communities do they operate? Do they have a strong mission statement and clear philosophy that is portrayed online? Can you see a link between this philosophy and what you observed during your community tour? Because policies, procedures, and best practices trickle down from the ‘corporate office,’ it’s important to have a good feeling not just about the physical community, but the company that manages the physical community.
At Vantage Point we feel we have the best people who work in our communities and also the best people who work at the corporate level. Since the company opened its first community in 1995, Vantage Point has had a tradition of family-oriented management. When a person moves into one of our communities they have direct access to the co-founder and president of the company. Residents and their family members get to know staff by name – from a resident assistant to the vice-president of operations – and vice versa. It is this commitment to a culture of fostering personal relationships that has made Vantage Point and its communities the top retirement communities in their areas.
Our mission to “create best-in-class communities for seniors built on a foundation of trust, compassion, and responsibility to better the lives of those who live in them” is one we take very seriously. This mission is accomplished using our core values: trust, teamwork, family, friendship, individuality, dignity, respect, and compassion.
For more information on Vantage Point Retirement Living and how we provide exceptional lifestyles for residents in our communities, please give us a call at 610-321-1977 or email [email protected].
