Ways To Help Transition Your Loved One Into An Assisted Living Community
If you know that it is time, or it will soon be time, to move your loved one to an assisted living community, you might find yourself starting to get a little worried about the transition. Some people take the move better than others, but there are always things you can do that will allow you to help your aging loved one with this process. Here are two suggestions for you to consider:
Visit The Facility With Your Loved One
You want to involve them in the process of choosing an assisted living community as much as possible. While you might have to focus on things such as the cost, whether the insurance will cover some or all of it, and ensuring that it is a healthy environment, you want your aging loved one to feel at ease with the place. Take them with you when you go to tour the different assisted living communities you have taken an interest in. Let them ask questions and make sure that they are getting to see all of the common areas that they will share with others.
Help Set Up Their New Space
You do not want to leave them alone to deal with arranging furniture and hanging decorations on their own. It may already be an emotionally sensitive time for them. You don't want to just drop them off and assume that the staff can handle things from there. Try to arrange their furniture and other personal belongings in a similar fashion to their set up in their old home. This can help make the space feel a little more comfortable for them. This also gives you time to spend with them in their new living area. Take a few moments to ask how they are feeling about the move during this time and be ready to really listen. If you think it would help, you might want to have a spiritual leader or other family members come to visit your loved one and they too can listen and help them work through their emotions about the move.
Using as many of the previously mentioned suggestions as possible can really help your aging loved one ease into the move and not be so resistant to the change of environment. The sooner you are able to start working with them in terms of getting them ready to move, the easier it will be for them. This type of move is certainly not something that you are going to want to spring on them with little notice unless you are faced with circumstances outside of your control.
Contact a local assisted living community to learn more.