Without the ability to meet vendors face-to-face, it was difficult to make decisions or really know the people we were working with...What worked for us was selecting a wedding coordinator who offered a package deal with everything we needed.

Michelle S.

My advice to others who are considering placing a loved one in any facility would be to simply be aware. Ask the toughest questions you can think of.

David T.

Our photos were technically gorgeous, but our photographer was a novice and therefore had no idea how to stage photos. People milled haphazardly in and out, and...we didn’t realize we were leaving out large chunks of my family.

Sarah M.

If I hadn’t asked about her remains beforehand & made myself very clear, she would have been cremated in a manner that was very upsetting to me, or sent to a medical school without my knowledge. It’s very important to know that you do have a choice.

Carrie H.

[Our] repairs cost us nearly $4,000...If I had to do it over again, I would have had a qualified home inspector take a really good look at the place, so I would know if there were any expensive surprises.

Cathleen V.

The next time I take on a bathroom project, I will have a better plan and the materials I need on hand from the beginning. I wasted a lot of time running back and forth to try things and return them later.

Adam S.

The hardest part of our adoption journey can be summed up in one word: waiting. When we began the process, we were told that it would take us 12 to 15 months from start to finish. Instead, 30 months later, we were finally home with [our] little boy.

Trisha P.

If given the chance to do everything all over...I would ask a judge when the payment schedule was set up about the possibility of the person moving out of state and what the consequences would be.

Whitney W.

Originally, the job was projected to take about one week, but it slowly extended to last more than three weeks. I had to take our laundry to the laundromat. The refrigerator had to be kept in the living room...It was pretty challenging.

Stephanie C.

Choose 3-5 facilities & then ask the senior to pick a few in which they would consider living...take the senior to visit the facilities. When a senior can see for themselves that the place is not all bad, they may be more willing to accept change.

Industry Insider David S.

This is critical to a program...Ask if the staff members have any certifications, continuing education credits, or other training that demonstrates they understand the unique needs of this patient population.

Industry Insider Erin F.

Choose a real estate agent who has the tenacity to make any contact, and learn all that is evolving in the market place. If my agent had not been vigilant, I might still own the unit.

Kevin O.

The most important element that I based my final decision on was the competency and reputation of the surgeon I selected. I was very thorough, and during my interview of him, I asked to see pictures of some of his work on other patients.

Stacy Z.

I was among the fortunate ones who, after being diagnosed with terminal dementia and working for patient advocacy, were finally re-evaluated...

Diana M.

Bridal stores [in the U.K] didn't pump me up and make me feel like this was special; instead, I was just buying a dress — the pomp and excitement of the wedding is a very American trait.

Catrina D.

When I told the funeral parlors that there was no insurance and that I would be paying cash out of my own shallow pocket, they came back with substantially lower prices.

Carroll B.

If I could do the same pregnancy over again, the only big thing I would change is going on maternity leave sooner...and not returning to work as soon as I did...The financial world didn't need me then, my child did.

Rosanne L.

We are now the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, and if we took anything out of our experience, it was this: Fertility treatment is worth all the stress, failures, money and medications, because in the end, your dreams may come true.

Melissa N.

Having traditional financing in place prior to making the offer is a must...The bank did not want to deal with contingencies, wait for approval, or hear about pre-authorizations; they wanted to close as soon as possible.

Samantha M.

If I had to do it over again, I would have relaxed! I also would have bought less stuff. I didn't need all the bells and whistles, including the cloth diapers. They were a big mistake because I had so little experience with babies.

Jennifer T.