Starting the Conversation
As a caregiver, the long-term care of your aging parents or loved ones is an incredibly important concern. Oftentimes, the right choice for seniors is a transition to an assisted living community or other type of senior housing. Thousands of families around the country make this same choice, yet it’s always difficult when it’s your own mom or dad. Finding a senior community that offers them as much independence as possible, while providing the necessary care in the form of medication management, bathing assistance, grooming assistance, socialization and/or proper nutrition is paramount to making the right decision for them.
Unfortunately, the timing at which you think they need assisted living and they think they need assisted living do not always coincide. Frequently, our parents and senior loved ones do not want or believe that they need to move from their comfortable and familiar homes. For these seniors, a move to an assisted living community is not only an acknowledgement of their physical and mental decline, but also of a permanent loss of independence. In order to ease what can be a difficult transition for seniors, we recommend starting the conversation early.
Start off by first telling them how much you love and care for them. Let them know that, as a senior who has helped their friends and family for years, they have earned the right to have people now help them. The senior living communities of today are probably not like what they envision in their heads, so ask them to come tour a few of them with you so you can see what they offer together. Or perhaps you should tour first and only take them to communities which offer an environment they might enjoy. In order to attract residents, many senior communities today offer a wide variety of lively activities, meals prepared by trained chefs, laundry service, housekeeping service, snacks, and focus on a healthier, more active lifestyle. Hopefully, one or more of these amenities will appeal to your loved one. If you need more help in convincing your mom or dad to consider senior living, see our Top 10 Benefits of Moving to a Senior Community for help.
As a caregiver, you must put priority on the health and safety of your family. Accidental falls and mis-management of medications are leading causes of hospitalizations for seniors and can exacerbate existing health conditions. Senior living communities can offer you the peace of mind of knowing that your loved one’s healthcare needs will be properly monitored and managed and that they will be stimulated, secure and hopefully, happy. So start discussing the option as early as possible.