Geriatric Care or Senior Care: How To Search Online for Senior Living
If you’re starting the process of searching for senior care or a retirement home, you will likely begin your search online. Google and other internet search engines have made looking for answers so easy, but in order for you to maximize your searching, you want to be sure you’re using the correct terms.
The senior living industry has its own jargon and if you don’t know the right words to include in your online search, you’ll end up missing out on the results you need. Knowing how to “talk the talk” for retirement living is key, and we’re here to help.
Outdated Senior Living Terms
If you haven’t been to a senior living community in the past 25 years, you might be using incorrect terminology. Here are a few terms that are no longer used in the industry, and what to search for instead.
- Nursing home
The phrase nursing home is antiquated nowadays. Most communities that offer skilled care or rehabilitation services are called skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing communities, or healthcare communities.
- Retirement home
While the phrase retirement community is still used to refer to independent living or Life Plan Communities, retirement home is not used to describe most senior living communities.
- Geriatric care
If you search for geriatric care, you will likely end up with results for geriatric care managers in your area. While these professionals provide an excellent service, they are not senior living communities and they do not provide hands-on care. So, if you’re confused about searching for geriatric care or senior care, always go with the latter.
- Elderly care
Similar to geriatric care, this term will not provide you with a list of senior living or senior care solutions near you.
- Senior housing
Unless you are specifically searching for subsidized senior housing, stick with terms like senior living community, retirement community, or continuing care retirement community.
Making the Most of Your Internet Search
When searching for senior living or retirement communities, use any of these tips to make the most of your internet search.
- Use phrases like senior living or retirement community.
- If you know the type of specific care you are searching for, use that term. Independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing are the most common types of senior living communities.
- Memory care is sometimes called dementia care or Alzheimer’s care, depending on the community. The term memory care is still an excellent one to use that will typically be noticed on most searches.
- Don’t forget to add your zip code or city name if you are looking to find solutions in a particular area or neighborhood.
- Remember that sponsored content will be at the top of your search results. Be sure to scroll down to find a more complete list of potential community candidates.
- Once your search returns results, keep a list on paper of the communities you want to contact. You can know which ones to take a tour of by exploring each community website, looking for deciding factors like level of care and location.
- Most communities do not list pricing on their site, but you can inquire about pricing when you call before setting up a tour.
- Many communities feature a virtual tour option online. Take advantage of this but know that it doesn’t replace an in-person experience.
Next Steps
Using the correct terms when starting your senior living online search can ensure you are getting a good list of communities that meet your needs. Once you get your list of potential communities, you can begin to narrow down your list by taking tours. During a tour, you’ll have the opportunity to see the community, meet key staff members, and ask questions.
At The Glen, we are happy to answer any questions you might have before, during, and after your tour. Schedule your visit today by calling 318-798-3500.