Adapting to a New Home Environment May Take Time

September 23, 2019 by ·

Most of us have moved at one time in our lives or another. Moving is one of the top three stressors in life, and for some people it can be the most significant source of extreme stress, at least for a limited amount of time. When an elderly person is suddenly moving into a new environment, such as an assisted living community, it’s likely going to be stressful, no matter how much they might be looking forward to the opportunity.

A person will not adapt well to their new environment if they are defiant, resistant, or unwilling to accept change. For somebody who may be forced to move, either due to financial circumstances, health, or other factors, their new environment could be viewed as being negative (by them) no matter what it offers.

For most seniors, though, transitioning to assisted living will provide numerous benefits.

Assisted Living Saraland, AL: Adapting to a New Home Environment

Many of these benefits are intended to provide comfort and safety first, but depending on the activities and events that take place on a regular basis, they can also provide anticipation and excitement.

For some seniors, these transitions will take many weeks for them to get used to. Even an elderly person who was willing to go along with this, who saw this as an opportunity for something good, a change where they might be able to make new friends, reconnect with people they hadn’t seen in a long time, and stay active, they very well might feel those familiar homesick feelings for a while.

It’s important to let them remain where they are.
When parents drop off their young children at summer camp for the first time, those kids often go through a period of anxiety. They feel homesick. All they want to do is call their mother or father and tell them to come and pick them up. If every parent did that right away, how many kids would actually end up with some incredible memories from those summer camps? Probably not many.

Adjusting to a new environment, even something as exceptional as a quality assisted living facility, may take time. Be supportive, encouraging, and positive when the senior begins talking about the stress, anxiety, and homesick feelings they’re experiencing. Listen and don’t discount them, but encourage them to give it some more time.

In most cases, elderly men and women discover that assisted living truly was the best choice for them at this point in their life. If they don’t adapt right away, they most likely will in short order.

 

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

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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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