If You’re Feeling Guilty for ‘Forcing’ an Aging Parent into Assisted Living, Find Out Why, Exactly

Okay, so you convinced your aging parent to look into assisted living. What’s so wrong about that? There’s nothing wrong with it at all, but many people believe by doing this they are ‘passing them off’ on someone else. Far too many families all across the country have this unsupported idea that assisted living is nothing more than glorified nursing home care.

Assisted Living in Satsuma AL: Feeling Guilty

Assisted Living in Satsuma AL: Feeling Guilty

The two are completely different.

Assisted living is an opportunity for aging men and women to be surrounded by experienced staff members who can offer a wide range of supports, from emotional encouragement, reminders, physical assistance, and so on. The main goal of assisted living is to provide these elderly residents with the opportunity to stay as independent as possible without the concerns that come along with living alone in an apartment or house.

Many communities provide dining options.

Some facilities may have rooms with eat-in kitchens where their residents can choose to make their own, but most have their own restaurants on the premises. This means seniors no longer have to be concerned with cooking, keeping track of things, or being burdened with these tasks if they don’t want to be.

They can also offer a sense of purpose.

There might be numerous activities your mother or father would still love to pursue, if they only had the opportunity to do so. Depending on the assisted living community, there might be arts and crafts, technology, hobbies, and possibly even opportunities to get out to the local mall, an art gallery, or parks every once in a while.

It is far better than sitting at home alone.

When elderly men and women are sitting at home almost every single day alone, it can have a detrimental effect on their emotional state of mind. The risk of depression increases. Feelings of isolation and loneliness become much more prevalent. When those things occur, it can have a direct effect on physical health and well-being, too.

If you’re feeling guilty because you believe you forced this elderly parent into assisted living, think again. Seniors ultimately have every right to decide where they live or what type of help they rely upon. Family may not always agree with those decisions, but they need to respect them.

Check in with this parent and see how things are going. If he or she is begging to go home, sounds frustrated or frightened, ask what they have been doing lately. Ask about the activities they’ve taken part in. Ask about the meals they’ve had recently. If they can’t answer, they haven’t really explored the incredible benefits this facility may just offer.

If you or an aging loved one are considering assisted living in Satsuma, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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