If your parent can no longer live on their own, or you are no longer able to care for them in your home, you may want to consider an assisted living community. Assisted living care provides daily assistance, prepared meals, comradery, and a full calendar of activities. Assisted living and memory care communities offer a wide variety of amenities and vary in price depending on the location and offerings.
One of the first questions to decide as a family is where or in what neighborhood you are interested in moving your parent. What assisted living communities are near me? There may be a few factors that can influence this decision. Where does your parent currently live? Is this convenient to visit for your family? Do you have siblings and where do they live? Is your parent emotionally attached to their neighborhood and want to stay there? Do you have a long commute and living close to work would be more convenient to visit? Do they live out of state and you need to move them closer to you? Sometimes this first step involves a family discussion to determine who is most available and what is the ideal location for everyone or what could work as a compromise.
Once you have selected the city or neighborhood, you can start your research for an assisted living community:
Internet. The first and most convenient place to start your search may be on the internet for assisted living communities within the neighborhood that you are interested. Start your search with ‘assisted living near me.’ Be sure that are you connecting directly with a company/community that offers assisted living and not landing on a website of listings for various locations that may be there just to pass on your information or gather information.
Searching online allows you an opportunity to review legitimate company websites to determine the size of the companies, if they have other communities, and what is their company philosophy, culture or background. You can request their marketing materials to be mailed to you. You can set up a tour. And you can check out family reviews of the business. The internet is a good place to start to understand the number of assisted living communities available in your area and how they differ from each other.
Ask Friends and Family. There is nothing better than a referral from someone who you trust and who has a personal experience with a community. You might even be able to accompany them on a visit to see their parent. Send out an email or post a message to friends, you may be surprised by the responses of those who are in a similar situation. Your friends may also have some good tips for you based on their experience.
Tour Community. Touring a community is important and a step that can’t be skipped. You need to narrow down your search and then visit the communities that best fit your criteria. This is your best opportunity to see how the staff and residents interact. You can taste the food, meet the care managers, meet other residents and family members, see activities, and experience the community for yourself. Depending on how your parent is feeling about the move and if they can help with the decision, you may want to bring them along with you on your tour.
We suggest that you first make a scheduled visit and then when you are closer to your final decision, make an unplanned visit. This way, you can see how the community operates naturally. We also suggest that you visit a community at different times of the day—meal times if food is an important factor for your parent, after work to meet other families, in the morning to see if residents are up and dressed, or later in the evening to see the community during a quieter time.
Referral Services. Choosing an assisted living community can be a daunting task for someone who is juggling full-time work, a family and possibly caregiving for their parent. Assisted living referral services are organizations that help families identify assisted living communities and help them choose the best fit. These can also be extremely helpful options if you live out of state. They can provide assistance to narrow down your choices, and typically the services are free of charge to the family.
Be aware that the referral service will pass along your personal information to the assisted living communities. It is helpful to understand the referral services’ business model. Most assisted living referral services make money when someone who they introduce to a community moves in. It’s the assisted living community that compensates the referral service. When you connect with a referral service either on the phone or through the internet, they will gather information—your name, contact information, relationship to the person needing care, and the city or neighborhood that you are interested in. The service may then provide your information to several assisted living communities within the desired area, depending on the regulations of your state. And these communities may contact you directly. This may happen rather quickly. If you are making a casual inquiry or are not ready to move, a referral service may not be the best first step.
Finding the right place for your parent will take some time and patience. Getting them involved in the selection process may make them more comfortable with the decision. Another option if you are looking for a community is a respite stay. A respite stay is a short-term stay at an assisted living community, where your parent can stay in the care of the community and enjoy all the amenities, activities, outings, and socializing that they have to offer. Your parent may enjoy themselves so much that they may not want to leave. A short-term stay allows for an easy transition into a permanent residence.
If you are reading this article you are already a few steps along in your search and may have even chosen a few communities to tour. We hope that the Aegis Living community near you is on your list, either way we would be happy to answer any questions you have about the search process and what to look for to find the right home for your loved one. Visit our list of local communities and feel free to reach out to learn more.
Respite Stays & Day Stays give family caregivers a real break—hours, days, or a few weeks—while your loved one enjoys a safe, enriching short‑term home at Aegis Living. Guests settle into a beautifully furnished private apartment and have 24/7 care staff and onsite nurses, medication management, and discreet safety technology (motion sensors, medical‑alert pendants, visitor check‑in) for peace of mind. Each day feels purposeful with chef‑prepared, all‑day dining and 200+ monthly activities—from book clubs and fitness classes to movie nights—plus full use of the community. We coordinate with your loved one’s physicians to mirror their routines and care, so the stay feels familiar. It’s also a smart trial run for senior living: meet neighbors, test services, and see what supported independence looks like—without a long‑term commitment. Choose a Respite Stay when you’re traveling or need time to recharge, when your loved one would benefit from structure, social connection, and great meals, or when you both want peace of mind while keeping options open.
Hospice & End‑of‑Life Care at Aegis Living is comfort‑first support for the final stage of life, delivered in your loved one’s private apartment by our 24/7 care team in coordination with a trusted local hospice provider you choose (or we can recommend). Together, we create a coordinated care plan that manages pain and other symptoms, oversees medications, and provides calm, dignified help with daily needs, while offering compassionate emotional support for both resident and family. Discreet safety measures and a reliable medical‑alert system bring help quickly; chef‑prepared, in‑apartment meals adapt to changing appetites. Families are guided through decisions and moments of closure so they can focus on being present in a peaceful, home‑like setting. If your loved one already lives at Aegis, they can remain in the comfort of their home, avoiding disruptive moves. Choose this level of care when curative treatment is no longer the goal and you want expert symptom control, hands‑on daily support, and a setting that protects dignity and prioritizes comfort, meaning, and time together.
Memory Care is specialized, secure support for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias who benefit from a calm, structured environment and round‑the‑clock expertise. At Aegis Living, that care happens in Life’s Neighborhood—an intimate, thoughtfully designed setting where 24/7 dementia‑trained caregivers and a nursing team on site seven days a week deliver personalized help with daily living, medication management, and mobility (including Hoyer lifts and two‑person transfers), while gently redirecting agitation and confusion. Days are purpose‑filled with science‑based cognitive programming, certified music therapy, and social activities; chef‑prepared meals are easy to enjoy and dining spaces and cues are designed for memory support. Discreet safety features like secured entrances, emergency pendants with fall detection, and optional motion sensors, prevent wandering and bring peace of mind, and visiting physicians and wellness professionals reduce trips off‑site. Families receive education and ongoing support. If your loved one is unsafe alone, missing medications, wandering, needs frequent cueing or hands‑on help with bathing or dressing, or thrives with a predictable routine, Memory Care offers the right level of care. For milder needs, our transitional Assisted Living can be a first step; for advancing symptoms, secured Memory Care provides the specialized, heartfelt support to help them feel calm, connected, and at home.