The transition from home to an assisted living facility may cause some stress and anxiety to your senior loved one and your family. Taking some steps and preparation help ensure that it becomes easier for everybody especially your senior loved one.
Senior Care
Do your homework
A very important step in helping a loved one move to assisted living facilities is to know what to expect. Do your homework on the facility. Read all the materials available for you. To make sure that the facility is the best for your loved one, do a site visit. This is the best way for you to assess the living conditions of the place in terms of safety, cleanliness and staff friendliness.
Discuss visitations
Your loved ones may be feeling some level of anxiety about moving to a Senior living facility because they may be far from you and the rest of the family. It is reassuring for seniors if visitations are discussed in advance. What kind of scheduling arrangements your family will be making should be laid out. Discuss the visitation schedule with the facility as well as access to phone calls.
Activities
A lot of people view senior living facilities as a dull or boring. This thinking is one of the reasons why a number of families have some reservations when it comes to transitioning their loved ones to senior living facilities. Truth is, facilities such as Morning Star Senior Living that have fun, safe and enjoyable activities for seniors. Activities are very important but also sometimes overlooked by families when looking for a facility for their loved ones. Choose activities that jive with the likes and interests of your loved ones. Activities should be an important part of your loved one’s daily routine because it is a form of exercise that keeps them healthy and gives them a chance to meet and mingle with the staff and other residents.
One important topic to go over when discussing daily activities is safety. This is especially necessary when your loved one has a a condition that requires extra safety measures. Go over the restrictions and the measures that should be taken during these activities to ensure safety and avoid strain and injuries.
Pack in advance
Moving is stressful to anyone. For a senior moving into an assisted living facility, the transition can be extra difficult. One way to reduce stress is to pack early. Don’t put them in a situation where they need to make hasty decisions in what to take and what to pack. This is stressful for everyone involved. Packing in advance helps relieve stress and helps you and your loved one become more prepared for the transition.
Discuss adjusting to the new place
Adjusting to a new place can cause stress and anxiety. People react differently to change and have different pace when it comes to adjusting. Make sure your loved one has someone to talk to about these things. Make sure the facility has managers and friendly staff who can attend to these types of concerns.
