Assisted Living Chickasaw AL
Your elderly loved one, perhaps your mother or father, has finally decided on assisted living. They contemplated a number of elder care options, maybe even tried a few along the way, and decided assisted living was the right one for them. It truly is the right option for many seniors, even if they don’t realize it at the time.
Just because this individual has decided on assisted living, that doesn’t mean they won’t have questions or doubts. Making a major life change, especially during your golden years of life, can be frightening. It can feel overwhelming.
This person is going to need support along the way. When you are close to this individual (emotionally, familial), you want to make sure he or she is taken care of. You want to make sure they don’t live in fear or doubt all the time.
There are plenty of things you can do to make a difference. Below are a few ways you can support this aging loved one as they begin planning to transition to assisted living.
Offer Daily Encouragement
This person will likely wake up several mornings every week questioning their decision as it gets closer to the move-in date. Even if they’ve already moved in, there’ll be times when he or she doubts that this was the right thing, especially if they’re feeling homesick.
The longer a person has lived in the same place throughout their life, the more likely homesick feelings are going to overwhelm them when they transition to assisted living the first time.
Just a quick phone call or even a text message, if they use smartphones, with encouraging thoughts can make all the difference in helping them redirect. If you have the opportunity to stop by once a week or so, do it. Those encouragements can go a long way toward helping them feel better about this new life change.
Offer Physical Assistance
If this senior is planning to move to assisted living but is still in their apartment or house, they will need to downsize (most likely). They will need to pack things up, maybe have a garage sale, donate items, find other family members or friends to take certain items off their hands, and so forth.
That’s a lot of physical and mental work for an aging senior who already needs support. If you have the ability to offer physical assistance with these tasks, do so. Even if they never say, ‘thank you,’ know that you did the right thing.
Ask What They Need
Too often, we get caught up in this idea that we know best. Or we assume we know what this elderly person needs as they transition to assisted living. Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes, we don’t.
If you want to truly help and support an individual, an elderly person as they transition to assisted living, ask what they need. They might tell you straight up what’s required. They may admit their fears or concerns. Even if they don’t, though, when you ask, it’s an opening for them to express how you can help support them best.
About Cindy Johnson
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