Moving a parent to assisted living can be extremely stressful, especially if your family member has anxiety about being in a long-term care facility or leaving their home. If you’re like most people, you probably want the senior you love to be in a place that does the best job of taking care of them and will ensure their quality of life is a good one.
The good news is that there are many skilled nursing and assisted living facilities out there that do a great job keeping up with industry standards and can provide your parent with the lifestyle they deserve while in care. For a look at a few ways you can help ease the transition to assisted living for yourself and your family members, read on.
Doing Your Homework
One of the most important things you can do for a parent who’s moving to assisted living is to get them into a facility they feel great about. To do this, you’ll want to spend some time doing research on the assisted living options in your area. Then, you’ll want to tour those facilities with your parent if possible.
Maybe you’ve heard great things about the Northridge care center and want to give your parent new hope through a living situation you think might help them to have a good quality of life again. Calling the Northridge admissions department and asking to meet with an intake counselor for a tour would be a great way to get questions answered and show your parent the benefits of assisted living.
Preserving the Past
One of the biggest hesitations parents have about transitioning from homes to assisted living facilities is that they worry about being forgotten and the past not being passed on. If your parent is struggling with emotional attachments to trinkets, photos, and other items that represent the past, it could be a great idea to look into public storage so that they know the past will remain safe and in a climate-controlled facility while they’re away.
If you live in Atlanta and try a Google search for storage units in Georgia, you might be surprised to learn how many options there are for storing things like your mom’s grandfather clock or father’s stamp collection. Start with giving them a call and asking about discounts and storage unit sizes and rental terms.
Honest Conversations and Future Visits
Because some seniors fear being forgotten and feeling isolated while in assisted living, it’s a good idea to have honest conversations about expectations and visits before they transition into their new living situation. Talk about how often you’ll visit, who will visit, what visits will look like, and how you’ll spend the holidays. For most parents, having these conversations ahead of time is a great way to make them feel better about the future.
When visiting your parents, and especially if they are in a memory care program, consider bringing those items out of storage here and there. This will remind them that their belongings are safe and will always be treasured as part of their legacy. In the meantime, do what you can to build future memories by taking day trips and creating new routines that fit best with assisted living.
In summary, by doing your research and making sure the facility you send your parent to has great quality assurance and programs that make sense for your mom or dad, you’ll put yourself and your parent in the best position to be happy with their assisted living experience. And by visiting regularly, you’ll also help to make the transition easier on everyone and may find that with the stress of worrying about a senior parent gone, you can focus more on making memories that are important to you both.