How to Get to Know a Senior Living Community without Visiting in Person

Even though the majority of senior living communities are now allowing in-person visits, albeit with certain restrictions and safety precautions, you may not be able or want to visit in person. It’s the holiday season for one thing, a busy time for everyone. Winter driving conditions are also a concern. And if you’re doing your research from out-of-state, in-person visits may be out of the question. Finally, to minimize the risk of coronavirus, limiting social contacts is in everyone’s best interests.

Despite all that, learning more about the senior living communities on your list has never been easier to do from home. If anything good has come out of the pandemic, it’s how senior living communities have responded by upping their technology game to make it easy for you to connect with them. Here are some of the ways you can learn more about them from a distance.

Check Out Their Website

Since you’re reading this blog, you’re already in good position to learn more about us. Most senior living community websites provide information about floor plan options, services and amenities, and the range of health services available to residents. There may also be helpful tools like our floor plan fit calculator, which matches floor plans to your lifestyle and budget. It’s a quick way to get a realistic view of what you can afford.

To see what life looks like at a senior living community, visit their gallery page. Our photo gallery gives you a glimpse of the beautiful campus, active lifestyle and positive outlook at StoneRidge. Our video gallery is another way to get to know us. Residents share their views on what makes life here so richly rewarding.

Take a Virtual Tour

Our virtual tours allow you to have a good look around our community without leaving your chair. You can stroll through our fitness center and indoor pool, dining venues, independent living apartment homes and more, all from the comfort of home. For a personal video tour in real time, ask the community about FaceTime calls. If you have an iPhone, iPad or Apple computer, you’re all set. If you’re unsure how to connect with FaceTime, read this article from AARP.

No Mac? No Problem!

If you have an Android phone or a Windows computer, you can use Messenger for video calls. You probably use Messenger already to send text messages on Facebook. But you can also use it to make phone calls or video calls. You can learn more about using Messenger for video calls here.

Another option is to download Skype to make video calls. Check with the community you’re researching to see which video-chat app they prefer to use.

Attend a Meeting or Virtual Event from Home

We’re still holding events and meetings to answer your questions and stay connected; we’re just doing it online via Zoom so you can join us from home. Once you’ve registered for the meeting or event, we’ll send you an email with a link to “Join a Meeting.” It’s a lot easier than having to drive here to see us, though we can’t wait for the time when we can all be together again safely. Until then, Zoom meetings are the way to go.

Keep Up to Date with Social Media

Most senior living communities have a Facebook page. It’s a good way to take the pulse of a community, see what’s happening and read reviews. You can also send a message direct from the home page. Some communities also have a presence on Instagram, the photo sharing app.

Questions to Ask the Communities on Your List

Choosing the right senior living community for you is all about getting the information you need. For questions to ask during your research, read our blog post: Choosing the Right Retirement Community. We also encourage you to reach out to us for more answers and advice. We’re here to help in any way we can. Just use the Contact form and we’ll get back to you soon.