How to Choose the Right Community
When the time comes to make a decision about senior care, the choice can be difficult. How do you know you’re making the right one? We’ve put together some tips and advice to help you make the best decision.
Assisted Living Services and Amenities
The Bristal is pleased to offer residents and their families online access to a portal which includes important community information, as well as the capability to pay your bill electronically. Our resident & family portal has many benefits, including:
- Quick payments
- Convenient links to the monthly newsletters & calendars
- Anytime, anywhere access to your billing & payment history for registered users
- Payment flexibility, with eChecks and Credit Cards accepted
To get started, simply click on your community below to be taken to the portal. Once there, you’ll see quick links on the left to access newsletters, read more information about online payments, or make a quick payment.
In order to access payment history, signing in is required. Primary contacts will be sent an invitation upon move in to create an account if they wish to.
Types of Internships at The Bristal Assisted Living
The Bristal has a wide variety of opportunities for interns – we offer both semester and summer internships. Whether you are looking to complete university credit, or gain professional experience of your own, The Bristal welcomes all internship varieties. Students needing clinical hours for university credit are welcomed, too.
At the end of one’s program, there are countless career paths that exist for interns to potentially become influential and successful team members within our communities.
Internship opportunities exist within the following departments of our communities:
- Resident Services (LPN/HHA/RN)
- Recreation
- Community Relations (Marketing & Sales)
- Reflections (Memory Care)
- Maintenance
- Housekeeping
- Administration
- Case Management
- Food, Beverage, and Dining
- Corporate Marketing
Assisted Living Services and Amenities
The Bristal is pleased to offer residents and their families online access to a portal which includes important community information, as well as the capability to pay your bill electronically. Our resident & family portal has many benefits, including:
- Quick payments
- Convenient links to the monthly newsletters & calendars
- Anytime, anywhere access to your billing & payment history for registered users
- Payment flexibility, with eChecks and Credit Cards accepted
To get started, simply click on your community below to be taken to the portal. Once there, you’ll see quick links on the left to access newsletters, read more information about online payments, or make a quick payment.
In order to access payment history, signing in is required. Primary contacts will be sent an invitation upon move in to create an account if they wish to.
Doing Offline Research
Of course, the internet isn’t the only place to find information about assisted living communities. Ask your family members, friends, neighbors, and religious leaders if they have any recommendations on various assisted living options.
Remember, the goal of your research – whether it’s online or offline – should be to narrow down your options to an assisted living community that can offer the services that you need, the lifestyle you are looking for, care you feel good about, and a price within your budget.
Assisted Living Services and Amenities
The Bristal is pleased to offer residents and their families online access to a portal which includes important community information, as well as the capability to pay your bill electronically. Our resident & family portal has many benefits, including:
- Quick payments
- Convenient links to the monthly newsletters & calendars
- Anytime, anywhere access to your billing & payment history for registered users
- Payment flexibility, with eChecks and Credit Cards accepted
To get started, simply click on your community below to be taken to the portal. Once there, you’ll see quick links on the left to access newsletters, read more information about online payments, or make a quick payment.
In order to access payment history, signing in is required. Primary contacts will be sent an invitation upon move in to create an account if they wish to.
Touring Assisted Living Communities
- The best way to decide if an assisted living community is the right fit is by seeing it in person. Choose your list of communities to tour based on the results of your research and any correspondence you’ve had with them.
- Most communities offer online scheduling for a tour, and the best ones will allow you to observe different programs and areas to get the best picture of a regular day at the property. Ask about visiting during a planned event or mealtime, talk to current residents and staff, and ask about any other specifics that are important to you while you are there.
- Bring along a notebook for writing down your thoughts and observations during your visit, as well as for keeping track of questions you want to ask.
- If you can, visit a community more than once, which will allow you to get the best picture of life there. If you are looking for a parent or loved one, revisit with the potential residents – they’re going to be the one living there, and their feedback is important. During the visits, discussing the costs and contract options will also be important. Make sure you completely understand the way they’re laid out – and if you don’t, just ask.
- Is housework becoming a little too overwhelming for your loved one? Do you feel they would benefit from socializing more within a community? Do they struggle with one or more ADLs each day? Would having their meals prepared and served restaurant-style each day make their life easier? Would you rest easier knowing that your parent is in a place where there is always someone there for them?
During the tour, make note of these things.
- What is the surrounding neighborhood like?
- What is the security like, both for the community as a whole and for the individual living areas?
- How did the staff greet you when you arrived?
- Are the staff and residents engaged with each other?
- Is the community clean and well-kept?
- What kinds of programs are happening? Does there appear to be information available about upcoming ones?
- Are the residents dressed properly for the time of day and the weather?
- Does the suite or apartment you are shown look like the right size space for your loved one?
- What kind of background checks do the staff members go through before they are hired?
- Do staff members receive ongoing training?
- Are residents allowed to have overnight or dinner guests?
- Are there restricted hours for visiting?
- What are the meals like? Can residents eat throughout the day if they need to?
Assisted Living Services and Amenities
The Bristal is pleased to offer residents and their families online access to a portal which includes important community information, as well as the capability to pay your bill electronically. Our resident & family portal has many benefits, including:
- Quick payments
- Convenient links to the monthly newsletters & calendars
- Anytime, anywhere access to your billing & payment history for registered users
- Payment flexibility, with eChecks and Credit Cards accepted
To get started, simply click on your community below to be taken to the portal. Once there, you’ll see quick links on the left to access newsletters, read more information about online payments, or make a quick payment.
In order to access payment history, signing in is required. Primary contacts will be sent an invitation upon move in to create an account if they wish to.
Comfortable Living
- Choice of apartment with a kitchenette and private bathroom
- All utilities (heating, air conditioning, electricity, etc.)
- Emergency response system in every apartment
- Maintenance of your apartment, common areas, and grounds
Farm to Table
The Bristal partners with local farmers and providers to ensure that no matter the time of year, we include fresh and in-season ingredients in the delicious meals that we serve.
Much of our produce comes directly from farmers in the tri-state area. And local meat and seafood are often on the menu as well. Fresh, nutritious food is important to us and our residents – and you’ll find plenty of it here.
Modified Diets
In addition to regular meals and snacks, The Bristal is able to accommodate modified diets as needed. Therapeutic diets include no salt added (NAS), no concentrated sweets (NCS), lactose free (LF), and gluten free (GF). Mechanically altered diets include soft to chew, chopped, ground and pureed.
We believe that meals should always be appetizing and well-balanced. Ask us for more information about the modified diet options in our assisted living dietary program.
Still have questions?
Simply contact the Director of Administrative Services at your community for more information.
Memory Care at The Bristal
All of The Bristal Assisted Living’s communities offer a specialized memory care area called Reflections. In a safe and secure setting, seniors participate in fun, individualized and meaningful programming that helps bring a sense of purpose and structure. And family members are always part of the process. The Bristal at Lake Success is the first community of The Bristal to be fully dedicated to caring for those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia
At The Bristal at Lake Success, residents have the ability to voluntarily participate in the Feinstein Institute’s research on Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. These residents can reap the benefits of research that’s already being conducted as well as help make strides against the disease for the future.
Want to learn more about memory care at The Bristal? Visit our blog, subscribe to our monthly bulletin, or schedule a tour today.
