Look for The Big Three in Senior Living: Fit, Warmth and Security.

Multiple choices pop up when you’re searching for secure senior living in Austin – and most people will agree it’s not hard to eliminate some and get interested in others. But to zero in on the community that’s right for you – that requires research and hard thinking.

To expedite matters, consider The Big Three as you evaluate your options.

1. 1. Fit

Feels right? That’s a great start. It’s like when you were shopping for a new house, and one of them “just felt right” when you first walked in. Love at first sight sells movie tickets, too, but there really is something to be said for how long-term satisfaction often follows winsome first impressions.

In addition to good feelings, though, consider other important fits. Does the dining fit your tastes and style? Do the programs and activities fit your interests? Are the residents your kind of people – or the people you always hoped to fraternize with? As you review residences and common areas, can you see yourself living in these spaces? Or how about this: Does the community’s fitness center fit your plans for staying in shape?

Notwithstanding a bedazzling first impression, a good fit is in the details.

2. 2. Warmth (the sincere kind)

You’re important. That should be made clear to you on your first visit and throughout your time with a community. Bask in that warmth and then decide: Is it the kind of warmth accompanied by “Regular or decaf?” and a corporate-authorized smile? Or is it the eye-to-eye, deep-breath, furrowed-brow “You’ve got my undivided attention. Now, tell me more.”

Look for genuineness and warmth throughout the community – from the front desk to the people randomly met in hallways, to those who come to clean, serve your food, ride the mowers or guide your tour. It should not be hard to find.

You deserve a community that appreciates and honors you, and the sincere warmth of a community – resident to resident and, especially, staff to resident – makes that world go round. Without it, the community is an institutional facility. With it, a community is truly, respectfully, lovingly home.

3. 3. Security

It’s fundamental. Security means everybody’s looking after each other. A community watches out for each other, and the highest form of watchfulness is where the staff keeps an eye out for signals of changes in a resident’s well-being.

There’s another kind of security, and chances are, it’s what got you thinking about searching for a senior living community to begin with. You want to know that if a time comes when you need care – assisted living, memory care, rehab, long-term care – you can get to it easily. Security, therefore, is knowing the community has a continuum of such care. And possibly Life Care, which manages the costs of that care, providing a little financial security, too.

Finally, there’s the security of the community itself – its owner and management. When businesses fail, there’s hardship. When a senior living community faces bankruptcy, it can be disastrous for residents. So, in your search for a community, inquire and investigate. What do the community’s owners say about solvency? Is it a not-for-profit community, reinvesting income into the community – or a for-profit community providing income to investors? Learning more about the community’s financial security can save seniors and their families from heartbreak. Be sure. Be secure.

Look for The Big Three here.

Give Longhorn Village a try. Schedule a tour to see how we measure up for fit, warmth and security. We’re open to all your questions – and we’d love to get to know you.