We Have Wonderful Assisted Living Options In SWFL!
It’s true! Take it from me, the person who recently spent weeks researching and visiting different “old people homes,” (as my daughters call them) here in Southwest Florida for my dad. It’s a tough decision to make for your parent, but we knew my dad needed more care than we can provide him throughout the day.
So, I sought out the best care facility that was close enough for frequent visits from my mom and our family. I wanted something comfortable that would entice us to visit, not a dark, smelly and gloomy building that we sometimes associate with assisted living centers.
After a dozen phone calls, and a handful of site visits, I found just that! Thrive at Beachwalk in Fort Myers is a brand new facility, with very welcoming staff, a nice atmosphere, stellar memory care wing, and, I must say, amazing food! Heck, they serve better food than my dad would get living at our house!
While as your real estate agent, I cannot help you purchase or rent at an assisted living facility here in Southwest Florida, I wanted to share my experience and how we got started with the process. I found the staff at the assisted living homes to be very helpful in answering my questions, choosing the best plan for our needs, and getting the proper paperwork submitted.
4 Keys To Finding The Right Assisted Living Home
#1 – Determine Your Needs – Do you need a memory care facility like we did for my dad? Will you need medical treatments, or specialized monitoring, or can you live by yourself with frequent check-ins? Knowing the level of care you need will narrow your choices right from the start.
#2 – Determine Your Budget – It’s a good idea to check with your insurance provider to see if they offer any coverage for assisted living. Calculate what you can afford each month, and get a good understanding of what is included with each package. Dive into the details! Are there any additional expenses such a cable and/or electric bills? Does the room come furnished? What about meals?
#3 – Determine Your Location – Once you understand your needs and budget, you can see what’s offered in your desired location. For us, it was important my dad was not far from Sanibel, so that my mom could visit every day. But it was also important that he was close to his doctor’s in Fort Myers, and not far from the hospital in Health Park.
#4 – Visit In Person – Just like when you are home searching, you’ll want to feel out the place to see if the atmosphere, people and location meet your expectations. As I mentioned, some places I visited weren’t very inviting, while Thrive had all modern furnishings, bright windows, beautiful outdoor grounds, and of course, friendly staff.
Of course there are other great options in the area, here are just a few we found in our research.
Thrive at Beach Walk – Located in Iona, click here to view their website
Shell Point – Located in Punta Rasa, click here to view their website
Cypress Cove – Located in Health Park, click here to view their website
Brookdale – Several locations in SWFL, click here to view their website
Pacifica – Located in Health Park, click here to view their website
Barrington Terrace – Located near Health Park, click here to view their website
These are just a few of the many options to jumpstart your research! I’m happy to share my thoughts on the few we visited in person. If you have a home here in Southwest Florida that you need to sell before transitioning to assisted living, I’d be happy to help with that too!
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out, 239-472-1950.
