Moving to an assisted living community is a major life change. It’s normal for seniors and their families to feel some apprehension or uncertainty – especially if they have never gone through the senior living process before.
In order to ease worries about the unknown, this guide will walk you through what seniors should expect when moving to assisted living and adjusting to their new lifestyle. Knowing what to expect can ease the transition for seniors and their families, allowing them to approach the senior living journey with confidence and excitement for the safe, enriching future to come.
Benefits of Assisted Living for Seniors
Assisted living can have countless benefits for seniors. Some advantages include:
- Peace of mind about the senior’s health and safety
- 24/7 access to care
- Assistance with activities of daily living
- Safer and more secure environment
- Increased social opportunities
- Access to higher levels of care if needed
- Nutritious meals every day
- Freedom from chores and home maintenance
- Improved quality of life
Choosing an Assisted Living Community
The first step in the senior living journey is touring assisted living communities and selecting which one is the best fit.
A trusted senior living advisor, like those at Florida Senior Consulting Advisors, can guide you through every step of this process so you do not have to stress about the many options and decisions to come. Usually, they do not charge for their services, as they get paid by the communities themselves. Thus, as long as you select an advisory service that is ethical and trustworthy, you have nothing to lose by enlisting them to help you tour and make informed decisions.
However, if you do decide to tour assisted living communities on your own, here are some important questions to ask during your tour:
- What levels of care are available in the community?
- What kind of assisted living license does the community hold? (Click here to learn about the main types of senior living licenses.)
- How much does it cost and what is the fee structure?
- What does the monthly fee include?
- What are the dining options and can you try the food?
- Can you speak to current residents or families about their experience?
Coming prepared with these questions will help you get the most out of your tour and get the information you need to make your decision. You can also use our free senior living tour checklist to guide you. For more questions to ask when touring an assisted living community, click here.
Preparing to Move to Assisted Living
After choosing a community, it is time to start getting ready for your move to assisted living. Here are some steps to follow to prepare for your assisted living transition:
Begin downsizing and packing
Downsizing is a crucial part of preparing to move to assisted living. After all, one of the benefits of assisted living is that you no longer have to worry about maintaining a large living space or having too much clutter! Because of this, your new senior living apartment may not have as much storage space for unneeded items.
Enlist a friend or family member to help you go through your things and decide what to keep, donate, give away to loved ones, or toss.
Make sure to be realistic about what you will be bringing to your new accommodations. For example, you may not need kitchen items if you will be eating three meals a day in your community’s dining room. You won’t need any tools or yard equipment because all building maintenance will be taken care of for you.
It may be hard to part with some of these items, but just remember you have had great experiences with your things – and that having less clutter is better for seniors’ mental and physical health.
Determine your payment method
Like all living arrangements, assisted living is an investment, and the price can differ between locations. The 2025 average cost of assisted living in Florida is $5,039. Keep in mind this usually includes room and board, three meals a day, maintenance, building amenities, social events, and basic care services (higher levels of care will cost more).
Thus, before you move in, you will need to determine how you will pay for assisted living.
Some of the most common ways to pay for assisted living include:
- Private pay (savings, retirement funds)
- Social Security
- Pensions
- Veterans Benefits
- Long-term care insurance
- Life insurance policies
- Real estate
- Medicare and Medicaid
To help you make the best decisions regarding paying for assisted living, it is always wise to consult an elder care attorney or financial planner.
Senior Consulting Advisors can refer you to trusted, highly-qualified finance professionals who specialize in working with seniors. Send us a message and we will provide our recommendations.
Complete admission paperwork and assessments
As expected, moving to an assisted living community involves some paperwork. Luckily, managing the paperwork is one of the primary functions of a senior living advisor.
Before you move in, you, your family, and your senior advisor will meet with the facility admissions coordinator to complete all the documents you will need.
Specifically, you will probably need to fill out many of the following items:
- General forms and agreements – These include:
- Application
- Medical release forms
- Policies of the facility
- Consent for care forms
- Legal certificates
- Cost information
- Care information
- Physician orders
- Criminal background checks
- Insurance information
- Any other documents the facility or state requires
- Medical history – Prepare to provide the admissions coordinator with your medical history, including:
- Height
- Weight
- Allergies
- Health conditions and diagnoses
- Medications
- Dietary requirements
- Proof of a physical examination from your doctor
- Assessments – Most communities administer a variety of assessments before a senior moves in. These can include:
- General health assessments
- Cognitive assessments
- Level of care assessments
- Medication management assessments
- ADL (activities of daily living) assessments
- Sensory assessments (vision and hearing)
It might sound overwhelming, but it is good to be prepared to complete these documents and assessments so you can provide accurate information efficiently. Plus, your senior living advisor will be there to help make sure all required documents are in place.
The First Day: Settling into Assisted Living
Just like experiencing the first day of school or college, the first day at a new assisted living community can bring feelings of anticipation, excitement, and nerves. Here are some things to expect for your first day:
Orientation
Upon arrival, the facility admissions coordinator will show you how to get to your room and other important areas, such as the dining room, fitness center, common areas, nurses center, courtyard and more. They also might invite you to a community activity happening later that day so you can get acquainted. Plus, they will provide you with important information, like the social calendar, dining menu, and transportation schedule.
The admissions coordinator may also pair you with an ambassador who welcomes new residents to the community. This ambassador can show you around, bring you to meals, introduce you to fellow residents, and answer any questions that come up.
Plus, should you choose to enlist a senior living advisor, they will be there on your first day, too, to help you get settled in.
Set Up Your New Space
Next, the fun part: designing your new space. With the help of your family members, staff, and senior living advisor, you can set up your new space however you desire. Whether you get new items or bring in your cherished furniture you’ve had for years, you can decide how to make your new residence feel like a home.
Meet the Staff and Neighbors
Once you set up your room, it’s time to start meeting new people. Your admissions coordinator or resident ambassador can introduce you to all the nurses, nursing assistants, and staff members at the community. This is a great time to create a strong foundation with people who will be providing care and services for you in the future.
You can also start saying hello and introducing yourself to your new neighbors. If you open up the conversation, you might be surprised how much you have in common with your fellow residents.
Adjusting to Assisted Living
It is important to remember during this process that anything new needs time to adjust. It might take a few weeks to create a new routine, meet people you want to eat with, or find activities you enjoy. Remember that this is normal!
Here are some tips to improve your adjustment and make the most of your senior living experience:
1. Stay in touch with family and friends
Moving to assisted living does not mean you have to say goodbye to your family and friends. On the contrary, it is actually quite important to stay in touch with loved ones throughout the senior living process for emotional support.
Most assisted living communities welcome and encourage loved ones of all ages to join for an activity, event, meal, or even a short visit. They can even bring along a beloved pet to visit you, too – which offers countless benefits for seniors.
If your relatives live far away, Zoom and Facetime are excellent, free tools to video chat with loved ones near and far. Need help setting it up? A staff member would be happy to assist.
2. Make an effort to meet new people
Some seniors are hesitant to go out and meet new people in their assisted living community. After all, entering a new group of people can be intimidating. But, putting yourself out there to make some new friends will only help your adjustment to the community.
Meeting new people and engaging with others is crucial for seniors’ overall well-being. Socialization helps prevent loneliness and depression, improves cognitive function, encourages physical activity, and may even lengthen lifespan. So, get out there and try to meet some new people! You won’t regret it.
3. Attend some community events and activities
Seniors are sometimes hesitant to attend community events and activities. However, it is beneficial to participate in some of the social opportunities the community offers. After all, they are included in your monthly fee, so you might as well try to take advantage of them!
Go to a yoga class to improve your balance. Attend a history lecture to keep your brain sharp. Join the gardening club to keep up your hobbies. Watch a music performance to stay engaged in the community. Not only does participating in activities benefit both the mind and body, but it also allows you to meet other people with similar interests as you. Plus, it never hurts to have a few extra friendly faces to say hello to around the community.
4. Stay in touch with your Senior Living Advisor
If a senior living advisory service is up to par, then they should make an effort to keep in touch with you after you move. The Florida Senior Consulting Advisors team prides themselves on always following up with clients and helping them in any way they need even after they move to assisted living.
Want to confirm your care plan is being followed? Need help scheduling community transportation? Missing something for your new apartment? Call on our Senior Consulting Advisors team and we will be there to help.
Conclusion
Transitioning to an assisted living community is a big step, but with proper preparation and understanding of the process, seniors and families can have a smoother experience.
If you want support before, during, and after the senior living process, call the expert senior advisors at Florida Senior Consulting Advisors. We will help:
- Figure out what type of senior living community you need
- Set up tours at the best communities
- Accompany you on tours and show you what to look for
- Choose your best-fitting community
- Coordinate moving details
- Move-in
- Get settled after moving
- And beyond!
We are a family-run business that is local to Florida, and we have seniors’ best interests at heart.
Call (800) 969-7176 or visit SeniorConsultingAdvisor.com to speak to your local senior living advisor today!
