Frequently Asked Questions

Prior to leaving a skilled nursing or rehabilitation center, carefully go over your treatment plan with your team of care providers, and encourage anyone who will be helping you at home to join you. Doing this ensures everyone knows what to expect after your discharge. And while asking for help can be difficult, doing so is critical to your continued recovery. Set up a rotating schedule for friends or loved ones to visit and help you or your loved one with household tasks. Decide who will take you to follow up doctor’s appointments or ask about travel assistance prior to discharge.

While it is perfectly natural to feel uncertainty, sadness, or stress leading up to and immediately following the move to an assisted living environment, there are things you can do to help make this transition easier for both your loved one and yourself. If possible, try to allow enough time for your loved one to sort household objects and pack their belongings at a calm pace. If your loved one communicates feelings of sadness, uncertainty, or even anger or frustration, try your best to listen openly. Validate feelings as they arise, and also try to point out a significant bright side of this change: your loved one will no longer need to feel apprehensive of performing everyday tasks such as taking a stroll, showering, or dining. A team of dedicated care providers will always be nearby. Further, an assisted living environment will offer regular opportunities to make new friends and become part of a supportive community.

The severity of your loved one’s dementia symptoms may affect the degree to which they are able to communicate with and understand you, but it is important to include them in discussions related to their wellness and safety. Choose a time that is calm, and speak slowly and clearly. Make eye contact while you speak and use a tone of voice that is reassuring and friendly. We’re happy to meet and greet your loved one and provide a tour of the facility to become acquainted with a home.

It is always a great idea to plan for your future assisted living needs ahead of time. Once you have decided where you would like to live in the future, be sure to document this choice and share your decision with loved ones, or close friends. Speak with the Administrator at the center you have chosen about the center’s pet policies, visitor policies, what items you will be able to bring with you from home, and which types of activities will be offered. Ask friends or loved ones to join you for lunch at the center so that they have a chance to get a sense of the center as well.

Facing the unexpected illness or injury of a loved one is incredibly stressful. Talk with your loved one’s Power of Attorney about how you will share information and make healthcare decisions. If you are the Power of Attorney, speak to close, mutual friends or family about how you plan to make decisions on behalf of your loved one. During times of stress it can be difficult to remember new information, so take notes whenever you are speaking with a member of your loved one’s care team and ask for information to be delivered as clearly and simply as possible. It’s easy to forget to take care of yourself while focusing on another’s immediate needs. Establish a support system of family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors to help you through this time.

While it is not necessary for anyone to assign a Power of Attorney prior to receiving treatment in a skilled nursing or assisted living care center, putting this in place ahead of time is a good idea. When choosing who to make your POA, consider how long and how well the candidate knows you and understands what your wishes would be if you were unable to express them directly. Assigning a Power of Attorney unburdens others from being in a position to make medical decisions which they are not comfortable making. 

Our activity directors curate unique activity schedules to accommodate our guests’ abilities and provide opportunities for daily socialization and mental stimulation. We are delighted to offer our guests a wide array of activities both within our care centers and in the communities we serve. Day trips might include cultural experiences at museums, going to a play, or seeing live music. A day of shopping or touring a local attraction are perfect activities for cold winter days, while a walk through the park and a stop by the ice cream parlor are typical experiences for the summer. We host holiday parties year round and invite neighbors and family members to join us. Many talented musicians and performers provide entertainment for our guests, and our comfort dogs love to stop by and snuggle.

If you or a loved one require skilled nursing care, a Symphony Care Network liaison will partner with you prior to your discharge from the hospital or another skilled nursing facility to find the right fit for your treatment needs. The liaison will consider factors such as which therapies and programs the center offers, the center’s distance from your home, and which type of healthcare coverage you have. For those who are able to spend time researching which assisted living or rehabilitation center they prefer, we suggest considering similar factors. Will family and friends be able to visit easily? Does the center offer appropriate therapies and appealing activities? Does the center accept the type of healthcare coverage I am using? We provide a search tool on our website to make it easier to find the perfect care center for you.

Symphony care centers offer a wide array of therapies tailored to the treatment needs of our guests. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy are offered at many of our centers. We will work closely with you prior to hospital discharge to determine which center is best suited to your needs.