Requesting a Community Tour

One of the best ways to explore different communities is to request a tour. If you are considering communities in your area, an in-person tour will give you a great insight into the look and feel of a place. Luckily for those who are considering communities in a new area, modern technology can also give you a wonderful opportunity to tour a facility that is not right on your doorstep.

Tour the Facilities and Services

Besides viewing potential apartment or home layouts at various locations, take some time to tour the facilities and services offered by these senior living communities as well. After speaking with a number of different operators, they typically recommend allowing 1.5 to 2 hours to take a good look around the community as well as get the chance to speak with fellow residents to get a better sense of the vibe in each place. Afterall, the way you feel about certain communities will be one of the key factors influencing your decision.

Enjoy a Meal in the Community Dining Room

When scheduling a tour, most senior living operators will offer you the option to come in for a viewing during lunch or dinner time. Accepting this offer will give you another great opportunity to interact with other residents and get a better sense of the social vibe in any given place. It will also allow you to sample some of the food on offer within the community’s dining program. Most retirement living communities include a number of meals in your monthly fees, so if you are hoping to put away your chef’s hat during retirement and enjoy some of these great services on offer, then sampling the menu during your tour will help you determine the quality and variety of their meals as well.

Talk to Fellow Residents

Most senior living operators will be incredibly helpful when you inquire about their community, but the reality is that their job is to sell you on their facilities and services in the hopes of welcoming you as a new resident in the near future. We can all do our own homework before and after the tour takes place, by reading online reviews and information about specific communities we are considering. However, it pays to keep in mind that most people only leave public reviews when they have an exceptionally good or bad experience somewhere. Therefore, it can be invaluable to find an opportunity to speak with some of the residents during your tour. Hearing from current residents will give you a far more accurate representation of what the community is currently like and how others are enjoying spending their days there.

Did you know you can schedule a tour at any of the communities you have browsed in the Kithward database? Save your favorite communities, schedule tours at a time that’s convenient for you, and get reminders of upcoming tours closer to the date. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@kithward.com and one of our friendly team members will be happy to help.