For many older people moving out their homes, the transition can be tough, especially if they have lived in the same home for many years. Some elderly people move into assisted living facilities because their spouses have passed away and they are tired of living alone. Others choose to live in assisted living facility because they can no longer handle the daily tasks of cooking and caring for a house. Follow these tips for helping your elderly loved one make the transition to an assisted living home easier and a positive change.
Take The Time To Highlight The Benefits
When the time comes for you to discuss moving to an assisted living facility with your aging loved one, doing so by highlighting the benefits of doing so is the best way to start out. If cooking has been tough on your older person, discuss how he or she will no longer need to worry about it. Focus on how meals will be brought or cooked for them in their assisted living apartment. Focus on how bathing and housekeeping can be easier with help from qualified nursing professionals who will also visit their assisted living home. For some older people, taking care of their lawn can be impossible, so focusing on how lawn chores will be done for them is useful as well. By making your loved one's life seem less challenging at an assisted living facility, you also help to ease his or her fears about moving there.
Take Packing Slowly Because It Can Be Emotionally Tough
Helping your aging parent or grandparent pack the belongings he or she wants to take to an assisted living facility can be hard. Keep in mind the property in an older person's home may be things that have been a part of that person's life for years. Items in the home may have also belonged to a dead spouse, making the emotional burden of leaving it behind extremely heavy for your elderly loved one. For these reasons, packing ahead of time is important so you and your loved one will have time to work through the emotional pain together.
While packing, try to stay positive for your loved one, giving them the best reasons to make the transition. For example, explain how there will be other residents living at the facility that have also lost their spouse and had to go through the same pain of leaving behind the home they loved.
Once your loved is settled into an assisted living facility, making sure you visit on a regular basis is paramount to ensuring that person is making a healthy adjustment. If your loved one feels you are excited about their new life, it can sometimes help to give that person the same feeling.
Share13 November 2015
My mother had been living with my family for about four years before her health got so bad that I couldn't keep her in my home any longer. At that point, I really had no choice but to find a comfortable nursing home for her to move into. This wasn't an easy decision for me to make, but it was the only thing I could do to ensure she was getting the best care possible during her final days. I was pleased to find a wonderful nursing home that provided her with amenities that she could enjoy and a caring staff that would care for her. If you are second-thinking taking your loved one to a nursing home, stop and read my blog where you will find out how much good it can do for your loved one and yourself.
