Do your homework! Read Reviews to Find the “Best Retirement Communities”

When making the decisions about care and living accommodations for you or your loved one, you want and expect the best, as you should! “Best Retirement Communities” is a common keyword to type into an internet search when starting the process of finding a senior living community. But no matter the search terms you try, the results can be overwhelming with pages and pages of links, all with catchy headlines and all sources offering seemingly the same information. How do you know what is truly the “best?”

Do Your Homework – Turn to the Reviews!

To be clear, we are not taking anything away from the internet search, that step is very important. Consider that the window-shopping part of the experience. By evaluating retirement community websites, you can get helpful information all in one spot, see floor plans, access resources and get an overall feel for how the community presents itself publicly.

Complementing the website research with reading reviews gives you a real customer perspective. These firsthand accounts can help sniff out if this really is this one of best retirement communities out there. With a description and star rating, reviews give a glimpse into daily life, quality of care, variety of activities, the friendliness and responsiveness of co-workers, as well as dining experiences and an assessment of overall atmosphere.

The realities are, moving in a retirement community is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. And retirement communities are not one-size-fits-all. The decision to move is never taken lightly, that is why you want to search the best retirement communities for you or your loved ones’ needs. There are a lot of factors at play including what the personal financial situation looks like and even location of where you’d want to live. It is a personal and emotional decision; therefore, the stage of reading reviews is especially critical to hear from others-just like you-on what makes their home or workplace one of the best retirement communities from their perspective.

Here are some tips on how to read reviews in a way that will help you find the best retirement communities for YOU!

Pay attention to:

• Keywords that matter to you or your loved one (example: safety, socialization)
• Average overall rating of 3.5 stars or higher
• Heartfelt and helpful responses from the senior care service provider and their reaction to receiving a negative review or criticism
• A mixture of perspectives, from co-workers, residents and families

Read Reviews about the Best Retirement Communities Any Time and All the Time

Every family will follow a research process that works best for them. Between the company’s websites and social media channels, prospects can see the types of activities, off-campus excursions and overall vibe of the community before a tour or visit. Others talk to friends and trusted resources such as ministers or healthcare professionals to hear their recommendations. Rarely do prospects skip the step of reading the reviews.

Why? Because reviews can make or break your impression of a community. According to a 2025 report, nearly 50% of individuals trust a review as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member. Also, on average 94% of people say that reviews have made them avoid a business entirely. In addition to reviews being a way to validate your initial feelings on the community, they are authentic and sometimes emotional. Reviews help paint the picture of what life could look like at the end of your own very important and life-changing decision.

Sample the Stars

Taking a moment to critically think about the tone and message each review is sending is a way of spotting the genuine praise and criticism and sniffing out the disgruntled individual whose opinion will not be swayed. Not every day is perfect, and often there are circumstances beyond control that impact a family member or residents’ satisfaction after their personal experience.

Sampling a mix of the 1 to 5 star reviews allows the researcher to see the trends, read the areas the community could improve and also highlight what the organization does incredibly well. Caring.com shares that people read between 20-100 reviews before trusting a star rating. This adds up because, by sampling the diversity of ratings and feedback, the picture of the organization can become clearer.

Remember: Don’t skip on reading the organization’s responses! A review is a one-sided account of the story or situation. With that said, every experience, good, bad and indifferent, should be validated and acknowledged because the feelings, perceptions and happenings were real for the reviewer. Notice if the response offers solutions, continues the conversation with the reviewer and seeks additional context to help alleviate the reviewers’ concerns.

Get the Resident and Co-worker Perspective

When evaluating the strength of the community, it could be a good idea to also research the perspective of the staff, because their satisfaction translates into the overall culture of a campus and attention and care provided. When the staff are happy, they see their role as a more than just a job and will be fully invested in their role throughout their shift. In the co-worker reviews, you get a glimpse into some of the behind-the-scenes happenings. You can hear what they love about their job, how they feel about the campus leadership and if they are proud to work there. In return, that could mean it would also be a place you or your loved one would be proud to call home.

Where to Read Reviews

Google is a very common place to start because there will be a mix of resident, family and co-worker perspectives. Caring.com and Senior Advisor are also popular websites where families share their experience. To get the co-worker perspective, Indeed and Glassdoor are trusted sources.

The Best Retirement Communities for You are Out There!

When looking for the best retirement communities in your area-it’s more than the building and amenities, it’s about comfort, care and peace of mind. Equipping yourself with the facts from a variety of perspectives and maybe even taking multiple tours and visits to the campus, with each inquiry, you are getting more prepared, confident in the decision-making process and building the team that will support you in finding the senior care services right for you.

Our team of expert advisors shares that families are often evaluating up to five other communities during the research stage. You can never be too thorough, and you can never ask too many questions. The reviews allow you to hear other opinions, but, in the end, you are finding the best retirement communities for YOU or your loved one!

No matter what stage of your journey and even if you are interested in other communities, we are here for you! Our local advisors look forward to meeting you and guiding you on your next step.