Depth of Care
We look for an unhurried, intuitive connection between residents and caregivers.
Support must be uncompromising and available 24/7.
What We Audit: Staff-to-resident ratios during peak and off-peak hours; response
times for unscheduled resident requests; the visible presence of a dedicated, specialized care team; and the staff's instinctive understanding of individual resident histories and specialized needs.
The Experience
The daily environment must delight the senses and feel consistently vibrant and inspired.
What We Audit: The culinary program (including ingredient sourcing, chef execution, presentation, and menu diversity); the meticulous, flawless
maintenance of the grounds; and the depth, sophistication, and execution of the cultural activity calendar.
Emotional Proximity
We prioritize environments designed to actively combat social isolation, cultivate deep friendships, and keep residents seamlessly connected to their
loved ones.
What We Audit: The design and utilization of organic communal spaces; structural or technical facilitators that keep families connected; and proactive
staff integration strategies that identify and support residents at risk of isolation.
Trust & Protection
A protective shield that ensures residents are safe, respected, and valued every single day.
What We Audit: Verification of rigorous staff screening and background checks; security infrastructure that protects without feeling institutional; emergency preparedness protocols; and the transparency and seamlessness of communication channels between administration and families.
Autonomy
The community must honor independence, ensuring residents maintain their personal routines, freedom of choice, and complete sense of self.
What We Audit: Flexibility in dining hours, waking schedules, and daily routines; the variety of choices available in daily programming; and how
actively the administration incorporates resident feedback into community governance.
The Index Determination
Because we limit our index to only one top community per city, our selection process is fiercely competitive. Data gathered during our undercover evaluations is aggregated across all six pillars, but our final decision always comes down to a single, uncompromising human standard:
Would we be genuinely at peace if our own parents lived here? If the answer from our auditing team is not an absolute, unwavering yes, the community does not make the cut. Period.
The single highest-scoring community within a designated metropolitan market that passes this ultimate gut-check is awarded the exclusive placement on The Hawthorne Review Index.