Certification of Retirement Communities
Dr. David J. Demko, Gerontologist
AgeVenture News Service 03-19-03
What's in a name? When it comes to choosing a retirement community, names alone don't mean much. Amenities do. Qualifications of the
administrators and caregivers do. The Senior Hospitality Institute (SHI) is in the process of
offering certification to retirement communities that meet SHI's criteria for a quality
community. The certification process is intended to help potential applicants to better
understand how to decide among and between a multitude of retirement living options. However,
deciding on a retirement community must be prefaced by understanding the criteria used to
certify a community in the first place. That leads us to the proverbial issues of certification itself.
Issue one: Who is doing the certification? Issue two: who cares about certification? Certification
matters only when the criteria are all encompassing. In other words, the criteria for certification
must address all items necessary for making an informed decision. You should find the SHI
criteria somewhat helpful. However, there are a few items that don't appear in the SHI criteria.
Not to worry. AgeVenture's editors offer an addendum to the criteria.
The Senior Hospitality Institute (SHI) recently certified 26 communities as Retirement Resorts.
AgeVenture News editorial staff have independently toured a sampling of the communities, and
found them to be exemplary. Not just for there beautiful amenities, but for non-cosmetic factors
such as management expertise that are not the focus of SHI's seven criteria outlined below.
More about this later.
The SHI certification intends to single out the communities for providing Seniors with
superior accommodations, services, amenities, and access to quality healthcare, all in what
SHI calls a resort-like setting. Currently only 70 communities in the U.S. have been singled
out by SHI as meeting their criteria for certification as a Retirement Resort.
A senior living community must meet or exceed seven criteria for SHI Retirement Resort
certification. Here's the run down of items.
- a wide variety of lifestyle opportunities must be available.
SHI refers to these as recreational, educational, spiritual, cultural, and social.
- the community must have a clubhouse or community areas where
community members can gather for functions or activities.
- at least one staff member and/or a resident committee must
plan and implement resident functions and activities.
- a demonstrated commitment to providing first-class hospitality
and quality service to community members.
- the campus must look and feel "resort-like" and have a lot of
the "Wow!" factor.
- the majority of the housing should be devoted to residential units
(freestanding and/or condo/apartment units).
- the community must have available or convenient access to quality
health care, either on-site or off-site.
AgeVenture analysts believe the SHI criteria are a good start, but far too
non-inclusive to serve as a basis for selecting a senior living community.
Here's part of what's missing.
-
Cosmetic criteria are the last thing to look for in a community, not
the first. The look and "WOW" are important, but far less important than
substantive criteria. AgeVenture suggests your criteria include the following.
- Management is more important than physical features (assuming that the
physical plant is licensed, indicating that state regulations have been met).
- Ask about the management's experience and success in running similar types
of communities. For example, competent administrators of skilled care
facilities, assisted living facilties, rental communities, continued care
communities, and continuing care communities can be counted on to succeed
in their respective senior living areas. However, success in one area does
not imply competence in another.
- Check the history of crime in the community from internal or external
sources such as assaults, fraud, rapes, theft, and so forth. It is possible
for a community to have a history of crime against senior residents, yet
have a seal of approval from a national organization.
- Do not assume that non-profits are the good guys, and for-profit are the
bad guys. There are good and bad on both sides of the public and private
sector tracks. As a case in point, if the board of directors lacks business
savvy, not wanting to charge residents enough to maintain the community,
for example, then residents can be left on the street when the financially
ailing enterprise goes "belly up".
- What are the credentials of the staff? It is not unlikely that a name
hospitality corporation might hire someone who is a specialist in prision
management to run a senior residence community.
- Don't be afraid to approach selection of a retirement community in the
same way that you consider entering into any contract. You wouldn't buy
a car without comparison shopping, reading Consumer Report magazine, going
on-line to check out resources, consulting with satisfied consumers, and
discussing the matter with friends. Most people keep a new car for only a
few years. Living in a retirement community often involves the rest of your
living years.
- Good resources to check out before you decide are retirement guides
which can alert you to factors many people overlook. Think about it. You
no doubt have gone on many vacations in your life, and probably stayed at
a number of resorts. For most of us though, it was always good to be back
"home", the place where you felt comfortable, secure, and a sense of belonging.
One of my favorite retirement guides focuses on the total living environment.
The guide, titled "Retire in Style", offers ten steps to retirement location.
Readers can find this guide reviewed in the AgeVenture Headline News archive
by clicking on
"10 Steps to Retirement Location".
Many more retirement living resources are reviewed in AgeVenture's
"Aging America" newsletter archive.
For more information about the Senior Hospitality Institute and their
certification program, visit their web site on-line at: www.retirementresorts
Graphic credits: Senior Hospitality Institute (logo), Wheaton, Illinois.
Edgewater Pointe Estates (photo above), Boca Raton, Florida.
See related articles in AgeVenture Headline News.
See related articles in AgeVenture Lifestyle News.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Dr. Demko reports on lifestyle issues and trends in Aging America. Submit comments to:
demko@demko.com
This column may be used, free-of-charge, by print and broadcast media
with the following attribution:
"David Demko, AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com"
Please see AgeVenture "Permission to reprint" policy.
AgeVenture News Service, 19432 Preserve Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33498 USA
Dr. David Demko, Editor
Voice-mail: 561-482-6271. E-mail: demko@demko.com
