There are many retirement homes in Cincinnati and the surrounding Tristate region. But only some of them, like Episcopal Retirement Services’ Deupree House community in Hyde Park, offer a truly premier senior living experience.

When you choose a senior community in Cincinnati,
make sure you choose one that pays close attention to even the smallest details.

When you’re looking at prospective retirement communities, what criteria should you use to make your choice? How can you know that the provider you choose will offer you a premier senior living experience?

Here’s a checklist you and your loved ones can use not only to ensure you’ll have the best enriched living options, but also guarantee that your golden years will be happy and uniquely rewarding.

✔ Does the retirement community have a high staff-to-resident ratio?

The more care providers there are per resident, the more personalized attention you’ll receive. Moreover, some research has suggested that the quality of senior care increases as nursing and patient care assistant staffing levels increase.

✔ Does the community offers independent apartment-style living? 

Do residents share rooms or suites? Or does each resident enjoy a discrete senior apartment, condominium or cottage? The best retirement communities work to support their residents in living as independently as possible, for as long as possible.

✔ Can you receive enriched living services in your apartment home?

At Episcopal Retirement Services, we believe in minimizing disruptions to our residents’ lives as they move along the continuum of care. Deupree House is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), in which all levels of care – from independent living, to assisted living, to memory support, and physical rehabilitation — are combined.

Seniors here can opt to receive many enriched living services (including meal preparation, laundry and housekeeping, bathing and dressing assistance and light physical therapy) in their apartment homes, without necessitating a move to another unit or another community.

And, should a resident reach the point that he or she needs closer medical management or continuous safety monitoring, we offer advanced memory care and skilled nursing right here on the Deupree campus.

✔ Do residents choose their own doctors, therapists and other care providers?

If a community wouldn’t allow you freedom of choice in your care, it’s not the right senior living arrangement for you.

We’ll work with you, your medical providers and your family caregivers to enact a safe, effective, non-intrusive and person-centered care plan that will keep you, as our mission states, “living well into the future.”

✔ Is the community staffed by people who love what they’re doing?

Elder care isn’t a job. It’s a calling. At ERS, we believe that every senior deserves person-centered, dignified care. And that’s a core value we instill in all our team members from hire.

On your visits to prospective retirement care providers, observe the staff’s interactions with residents. Watch faces. Do staff members greet everyone with a smile? Do people in the community seem happy, laughing and chatting with each other and with their care providers?

When a community is staffed by people who are genuinely glad to interact with their elders, the difference in mood — and outcomes — is obvious.

✔ What amenities, activities and entertainment does the community provide?

Does the community foster a rich social experience? Do residents enjoy regular off-site trips to the performing arts, the cinema, concerts, ballgames, community and cultural events? Are residents encouraged to form hobby and interest groups, and are those groups well-supported by the community itself?

On your visits, ask residents about their social lives. Do the people you meet seem bored or unfulfilled? Or are they having a wonderful time in retirement, doing what they want to do, with neighbors and friends they care about?

✔ How’s the food?

It’s impossible to enjoy your retirement if you’re not getting the nutrition you need. Before you sign a lease, make sure you check out the community’s dining services.

Are dishes carefully planned and prepared by expert chefs? Will you have multiple dining options for your varying moods, including formal dining, bistro cuisine and room service, or does one dining room serve all?

✔ How do the grounds and corridors look?

Unkempt lawns or gardens, walls needing paint jobs, stained ceiling tiles, dim lighting, clutter — these may be strong warning signs that a retirement home might not be living up to its care responsibilities.

When you choose a senior community in Cincinnati, make sure you choose one that pays close attention to even the smallest details. That level of awareness translates into happier, more fulfilled residents and, often, more longevity.

Deupree House - Photo Gallery