Family Decision Guide: How to Choose the Best Senior Living Community

June 16, 2025
| Fountain Digital

When it comes to healthy aging, quite honestly, there’s a lot to do. You’re supposed to make sure to keep your body active and your brain engaged all while maintaining your social connections as well. Sure, the benefits to your overall well-being are worth the effort, but retirement is supposed to be a time with less responsibility on your plate, right? Well, it turns out that in senior living you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Here’s how programs like our Vivid Life make keeping active, engaged, and connected easy and fun!

Benefits of Healthy Aging

Good things happen when you focus on healthy aging. In addition to feeling better overall, which in and of itself is a win, other benefits of keeping active, engaged, and connected include:

Improved ability to do everyday things
Reduced impact of illness and chronic disease
Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and balance
Improved sleep
Increased energy level
Reduced feelings of depression and stress
Increased feelings of happiness and self-confidence
Reduced risk of cognitive decline
Increased mental adaptability and cognitive reserve
Improved memory recall and problem-solving skills
Improved concentration and attention to detail

How Senior Living Can Help

At home, particularly when living alone, it can be hard to stay as active, engaged, and connected as you’d like. From lack of opportunity to lack of motivation to lack of transportation to mobility challenges, and more, it’s tough, we get it! That’s why we created the Vivid Life program in our senior living communities. It’s composed of three parts: Vibrant Body, Vibrant Brain, and Vibrant Connections. Here’s what each entails:

Vibrant Body – We offer amenities such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pool, walking trails, gardening opportunities, and even a dog park to help you stay active. A sample of activities includes:

Walking club – Daily walks at different outdoor locations using pedometers to measure steps.
Yoga – At least once per week for gentle yoga, and once per week for mindful breathing.
Fitness classes – At least two times per week using a variety of hand weights, resistance bands, and circuit-type exercises.
Tai Chi – At least once per week with a live instructor.
Non-traditional exercise – Dancing, gardening, etc. at least two times per week.
Physical games and sports – Golf, putting, bowling, croquet, bocce, and ping pong available daily with organized events one to two times per week.

Vibrant Brain – We offer monthly calendars filled with classes, events, creative arts, and enrichment opportunities to help keep you engaged. A sample of activities includes:

Visiting lecture series – Twice per month with topics such as cultural, historical, local interest, career-oriented, etc.
Creative art series – At least one per week with a theme that runs 3-6 weeks, such as poetry writing, storytelling, painting, digital photography, etc.
Learning series – At least three times per month with an emphasis on learning something new such as foreign language, sign language, technology, hobbies, etc.
Games – At least one time per week and may include poker, bridge, Scrabble, etc.
Mindfulness – A meditation class once per week and gratitude discussion group twice monthly.
Church service – At least once a week through visits by local churches.
Stress reduction – At least once per month class that offers deep breathing exercises, nature walks, music appreciation, spa-type treatments, etc.

Vibrant Connections – We offer resident-led clubs, social events, outings and volunteer opportunities for any interest to help you stay connected. A sample of activities includes:

Outings – At least twice per month and may include going to concerts, art shows, museum visits, theatre productions, etc.
Intergenerational programming – At least once per month and focuses on building relationships between young adults/children and residents.
New resident welcome party – At least once per month to formally introduce all new residents, and includes ice breakers, social games, etc. to encourage connection.
Philanthropic program – At least once per month provide residents the opportunity to give back to the community, such as volunteering for a local food bank or pet shelter.
Resident-led clubs – May include game clubs, professional clubs, common interests, etc. that meet at least monthly.

What’s more, it’s all right outside your door (or transportation is provided offsite) and all in a supportive environment with home maintenance, housekeeping, and restaurant-style dining freeing your time to make it even easier to stay active, engaged, and connected.

Learn more about Vitality Living’s Vivid Life programs. Or find a Vitality Living community near you today to schedule a tour.

How to Choose the Right Senior Living Community: A Family Decision Guide

If you’re here, you’re likely carrying a heavy mix of emotions—worry for your loved one’s well-being, stress over logistics and finances, maybe even guilt about no longer being able to provide the care they need at home. You’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong.

Choosing a senior living community isn’t about giving up. It’s about finding the right support, peace of mind, and quality of life for both your loved one and your family. This guide from Vitality Living is here to help you take that next step with clarity, confidence, and compassion.

Where Do We Start?

When you’re just beginning, the process can feel overwhelming. There are many senior living options to consider, each with different levels of care, amenities, and costs. You may be asking:

What type of care does my loved one need now, and possibly later?
What’s the cost of senior living, and what’s included?
How do I know which community is truly a good fit?

That’s why we created the Family Decision Toolkit—a free, easy-to-follow resource that walks you through every step of the decision-making process, with tools like a senior living checklist and worksheets to compare communities side by side.

Step 1: Understand the Different Types of Senior Living

Not all senior living communities are the same. Each is designed to support different needs and lifestyles:

Independent Living / Active Adult: For those who want a maintenance-free, senior living lifestyle focused on connection, convenience, and freedom.
Assisted Living: For older adults who require assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, or taking medication.
Memory Care: For those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, memory care provides 24/7 support in a safe, structured environment.

Start by assessing what your loved one needs today—and what they may need in the future. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Good communities will want you to feel fully informed.

Step 2: Tour Thoughtfully and Trust Your Instincts

Once you’ve narrowed your list, schedule visits. During your tour, pay attention not just to the features, but to the feel of the place. Are the staff warm and attentive? Do residents seem engaged and well cared for? Can you picture your loved one living here?

Our senior living checklist in the toolkit includes a simple list of questions to ask and things to observe during each visit to help you compare.

Step 3: Ask About Costs—And What’s Included

We know the cost of senior living is one of the biggest concerns families face. Every community structures its pricing differently, so it’s important to understand exactly what your monthly fee covers, like meals, housekeeping, transportation, or care services.

Many families are surprised to learn that when you add up the costs of living at home – mortgage or rent, utilities, groceries, home maintenance, and personal care services – it’s not as different as they thought. And it comes with more support and less stress.

If you’re unsure what’s financially possible, ask! A good team will talk it through and connect you with any available resources.

Step 4: Involve Your Loved One (When Possible)

Change is hard at any age, and even harder when it means leaving home. If your loved one can participate in the decision, involve them as much as possible. Let them ask questions, tour communities, and express their feelings.

If they’re not able, trust your knowledge of who they are and what will help them feel safe and valued. Choosing a community that aligns with their personality and preferences will help make the transition smoother.

Step 5: Take a Breath—You’re Doing the Right Thing

This decision isn’t easy, but it comes from a place of deep love and concern. You’re not just finding a place to live, you’re creating space for a better, fuller life.

At Vitality, our senior living communities are built around just that: purpose, connection, and care. From active, independent lifestyles to personalized memory care, we’re here to help every resident thrive.

Ready to get started?

Download our Family Decision Toolkit to take the guesswork out of the process—or contact us directly. Our team will guide you at your pace, not ours.You’ve already taken the first step. We’ll help you take the next one.

Fountain Digital

Articles By Author