Life changes are never easy, even when we age. If your loved one requires assisted living, the chances are they're stressed, nervous, and anxious about starting the next chapter in their life. After all, they’re likely about to leave the home they’ve lived in for the majority of their life.
Luckily, with some consideration and thought from family and friends, the move can be made easier. So, if your loved one is about to make a move and you want to support them the best you can, read ahead as we guide you through the process.
Involve Your Loved One
First off, at the end of the day, it’s not you that has to live at the new destination. So, make sure that your loved one is involved as much as they can be. Usually, this will involve encouraging them to visit the home's website or read their brochures so that they can explore more about what the new community has to offer. Of course, in some cases, this might not be possible, especially when older adults have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
A happy medium for this would be to take care of the initial searching and visitation process, which will narrow down the options. Then, you can invite your loved ones on board once you’ve found the perfect senior living. Involving your elderly relative will help them to keep hold of their independence, which is extremely important as we age.
Mingle Before Moving
There’s nothing worse than when you get dropped off somewhere, left, and you don’t know a single soul. So, to help your loved ones feel safe when moving day comes around, you should arrange for them to get involved with the community. With this, you can talk to the staff and get involved in light fitness programs. Alternatively, you can arrange for them to go for lunch a handful of times before they move.
Arrange the New Space Together
Moving into an assisted living will be a huge change in your loved ones’ lives. Therefore, you should try and make it as familiar as possible. Instead of kitting out the new place with fresh furniture, ask the staff for a copy of the room plan. Then, you can analyze the space and decide what existing belongings can go along for the next chapter. If you can work out where photo frames and keepsakes can go, you’re winning.
Plan for the Move
When it comes to moving days, emotions will be running high. Therefore, you need to make sure you have a solid plan in place. Before the big day arrives, organize the man with a van and ensure everything is boxed up and ready to go. If you can, take your loved one out for the day while the movers get busy. This way, they don’t need to sit by and watch their home be moved.
There are a lot more things you can do to ease your loved one’s transition to assisted living. The most important thing to remember is that the decisions you make need to be centered around them and not you. This will be a worrying time for all, so take it easy and be kind to yourself.
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