How to Help Ease the Transition to Assisted Living
Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on January 26, 2017
How to Help Ease the Transition to Assisted Living
Learn the secrets to helping your aging loved ones adjust to life in a senior living facility.
Talking to your aging parents about moving to an assisted living facility can be one of the most difficult and challenging conversations you’ll ever have. However, it’s an important discussion to tackle if you want your parents to be safe, happy, and well cared for as they age and become unable to keep up with day-to-day tasks on their own. Older adults moving into an assisted living home may experience some degree of difficulty adjusting, but there are secrets to easing the transition.
Take your parent to visit the facility multiple times prior to the move
Once you’ve selected the right assisted living facility for your aging parent, visit the facility frequently prior to the move. Take your loved one to events and attend meals to enable her to get to know the facility, staff, and other residents. This will make the community seem more familiar to your parent once she moves in.
Give Your Loved One Space
When your parent moves into the senior living facility, give her space. Although it’s important to call and visit on a regular basis, you can inhibit your loved one’s independence if you visit too often. Furthermore, if your parent spends all of her transition time with you and other family members, she won’t get to know the other residents and staff as much and won’t get as involved in the community. That’s why it’s important to give her space to adjust and make new friends.
Bring Personal Items
Make the assisted living facility feel like home by bringing your parent’s personal items. Items that have sentimental meaning, like photos, are particularly important. Help set up your loved one’s bedroom in advance with her favorite blankets, pillows, furniture, books, and other items. That way the new environment won’t feel so foreign to her.
Talk to Staff About Your Loved One’s Preferences
Make sure that the staff at the assisted living home knows about your parent’s preferences, including her daily routine. The more information you can provide, the better.
Encourage Your Parent to Participate in Activities and Volunteer
Many times, elderly parents have a dismissive attitude when it comes to participating in activities at assisted living facilities. However, the more involved that your loved one is in activities, the happier she’ll be. Assisted living communities offer a variety of activities for residents, so she’s bound to find something she enjoys. Participating in activities is important because it helps your loved one get to know her fellow residents better and make friends.
Volunteer opportunities might also be available at your loved one’s assisted living facility. Your aging parent may be able to help out with things like managing the library, answering the phone, or leading a club. Volunteering is beneficial because it gives your aging parent a purpose and makes her feel needed.
Taking these steps can make a huge difference in helping your loved one adapt to her new living environment.
Find the Right Assisted Living Community
If you’re still looking for the right senior living facility for your loved one, check out Senior Living Link. Our free directory features assisted living homes and other types of senior living facilities from around the country. Find a senior living community near you!