When searching for a retirement community, what would you consider the most?

M: When searching for a retirement community, it’s hard not to focus all of your attentions on the fun amenities. Is there a pool or a spa? Do they serve five-star cuisine? But what matters more than tea times and tennis is whether the retirement community that you’re eyeing is safe and sanitary, and can cater to your health care needs—now as well as in the future.
    One would think most retirement communities would fit the bill. Think again. In the past year, there have been news reports of a fire that broke out at the Providence Retirement Home in New Albany, eight residents were treated for smoke inhalation and two were sent to the hospital, of staff members spotted two deer running in the halls of an Adams County retirement home in Pennsylvania before they exited on their own will, and of unsanitary conditions including maggots in a resident’s leg wound at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., surfaced during an investigation of 1,400 veteran’s facilities nationwide.
    Before you choose your new residence, make sure to visit it at least once, and be prepared to do some detective work. Here are some tips on what to look for when shopping around for a retirement community.
    Even if you’re in good health, consider choosing a retirement community that has an on-staff nurse or a visiting practitioner, as well as health care services such as bathing assistance and medication reminders. Also, take a stroll around the health care facilities and pay particular attention to cleanliness, how the staff interacts with the residents, and odd smells—especially a lingering smell of urine, which is usually just one of many signs of unsanitary conditions, according to Barth Holohan, president of Continuum, a health care company based in St. Louis, that provides health and supportive services to seniors.