How to Use Your Five Senses to Choose a Community
As Life Plan Communities begin to open back up, we’d like to provide you with some tips. Keep them in mind so that you’ll be well prepared as you begin your visits.
During the tour, you’ll want to keep your eyes open, of course, but you’ll also want to use your other four senses — touch, taste, hearing and smell — to experience the community to the fullest.
Here are some ways you can use all five of your senses to get the most out of your community tour:
Sight: As soon as you step on campus, take a look around. What is your gut impression? Is it a well-kept campus? Is the landscape neatly trimmed? Are the amenities, from pool to auditorium, in good shape? Are you seeing the services you want? Is there a gift shop, art studio, greenhouse, pharmacy, convenience store, salon, outdoor walking path? When you step inside, are there cheerful indoor spaces with plenty of natural light? Is the fitness center well-maintained and well-equipped? And perhaps most importantly, are residents and staff interacting? Do you see smiles on people’s faces?
Taste: When you’re visiting a community, it’s important to taste the food since you may be eating it every day. Come for a meal in one, or all, of the dining venues. If you have special dietary preferences, such as a low-salt, vegan or gluten-free diet, ask if the chefs can accommodate your needs. At PPH, we have four dining venues, ranging from casual to formal, where residents and guests can select from multiple delicious entrees, sandwiches, fresh-made soups, salads, desserts and more.
Smell: Take a deep breath as you tour the outside and the inside of the community. At PPH, you’ll inhale the fresh scent of flowers blooming along the walking paths. Inside, you’ll enjoy the delicious scents of gourmet meals wafting from the kitchens. The community should smell clean and inviting, inside and out.
Touch: During this time of social distancing, you should use hand sanitizer after touching anything. But when you’re touring, take notice of what’s around you. Is the pool heated to a comfortable temperature? Are the materials in the residences, from wall coverings to countertops to flooring, of good quality?
Hearing: When you first arrive, do you hear the birds singing in the trees and the burbling of fountains? Are you greeted pleasantly and promptly? Do you hear laughter and lively conversation? Most important, are you hearing clear, direct answers to your questions about the community?
We hope you’ve found these insights helpful, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our campus for a private visit as soon as possible. Give us a call at 215-697-8000 to arrange your personal tour, or click here to watch our Virtual Information Series, a collection of informative videos about life at PPH.