Moving is something that some of us love to do and others do more reluctantly. A loved one taking the leap and moving into an assisted living community isn’t any different. Sometimes, they need to be persuaded about the benefits of doing so before they’ll be convinced. It’s always better if the loved one makes an informed choice, rather than feels pressured to do it.
To help convince them it’s a great idea, here are 4 benefits to their moving to a community for assisted living.
A Fresh Start
It is often true that older people keep mementos, accumulated possessions, and frankly, junk, in the home. They become reluctant to throw anything away and don’t feel comfortable selling them to strangers either. The same is probably true of your loved one.
At this point, they may find it all a bit too much to deal with if the clutter is overwhelming. For this reason, a move can be like a fresh start, which then allows you to get the place cleared out. Then if they choose to sell up later, that’s up to them.
No More Cooking and Cleaning
Some older people find standing up at the stove to cook a meal to be tiring. Being on their feet and needing to remember to go back and forth to check on their food often results in burnt meals, a fire alarm going off, and a bit of embarrassment.
Also, pushing the vacuum around the floor and reaching down to dust every week starts to be harder on their body than it did before.
Finding out that assisted living communities do the cooking for them and that they’ll never need to clean again can be a relief. But they might not reveal that truth at first!
Help with Bathing and Staying Looking Their Best
Many seniors are still proud of their appearance but are struggling to keep it up.
The simple act of washing their hair or taking a bath has them concerned. Many slips and falls by seniors happen when climbing into and out of the bath or shower. They know it, fear it, and it may cause them to not be as attentive to their own needs as before.
Knowing that an assisted living community can provide a safe bathing service with caring people to lift them into and out of the bath safely is a relief to many. Some of the better facilities offer this service, like this one: npseniorliving.com. It’s best to let their pride do the talking. Make them aware of the benefit and leave them to think about it. Then they may decide on their own.
Become Social Butterflies Again
For loved ones who are used to socializing, they may have been disappointed recently that fewer people have the time to come around. It’s possibly been putting a dampener on their mood too. Not being able to express themselves as often could be limiting them.
The chance to participate in group activities and get to know new people nearer their age who don’t just stop by for an hour and then leave is invigorating. It could be the deciding factor if they’re unhappy being alone too often.
A loved one may need a little persuading before they come around to the idea of moving to an assisted living community. But once you start sharing the many benefits with them while still giving them the choice, you may be surprised how quickly they embrace the idea.