Best Senior Living: Caring Super Stars 2015

First impressions can go a long way when evaluating an assisted living or memory care community — and it’s important to gather as much information as possible and trust your instincts or your gut sense of whether a community is a good fit for your loved one and your family. You can also gain valuable insights from consumer reviews of the community. But one thing many people overlook is the question of consistency: Has the community you’re considering been noted for providing good care and a supportive, healthy environment year after year?

This matters, of course, because your loved one is going to be putting down roots in this new community, where you hope she’ll live happily for a long time to come. And you don’t have to make this decision in the dark — there are indicators that can help you assess how well a community maintains its high standards.

In 2015, we also started recognizing those communities that have earned the Caring Stars service excellence award for three or more years of the program’s history. Here, we list these “Caring Super Stars,” followed by common themes among super communities that win the Caring Stars award year after year.