Convincing a loved one to move to an assisted living community can be quite challenging. While you might start noticing that the care you are providing for your beloved senior is not enough, they might not see it that way. At such a time, you have to understand that letting go of all that your parents, grandparents or other beloved seniors have built and grown accustomed to, is not easy.
Starting a new life in a new surrounding at an old age becomes especially difficult, when one has finally become comfortable with a particular way of life. Apart from being patient, empathizing and understanding with your loved ones, here are a few tips you can follow to make the move to an assisted living community easier.
Below, we review common reasons why your loved one is resisting that move and what you can do to help them overcome these fears for a smoother transition:
- Saying Goodbye to the Family Home:
This is understandable. They have spent ages building up this house, designing and renovating its every feature. For them, every nook and cranny has a special memory attached to it. It can be a heart-wrenching experience, like they are leaving a piece of themselves behind.
It is your duty to listen patiently while they tell you all this and empathize with their love for their home. Then try to convince them that they would be starting a new life, where they would get a chance to make new and happier memories. Gently remind them that they can no longer afford to maintain the comfort of their homes and that it would be less expensive to move to a community where all their needs will be conscientiously taken care of.
And they would get a chance to make new friends! Plus, they wouldn’t be leaving everything behind; you will be visiting them regularly to ensure that they are comfortable and happy. You can tell them that if they still feel homesick there, they will always have the option of coming back. We assure you that at Arbor View Assisted Living, we will give them so much love and care, that they would never want to come back!
- Fear of Losing their Independence:
You need to understand that your elderly loved ones have sacrificed a lot in building or achieving what they have today. Along the way, they have grown accustomed to asserting their independence and having things done their way. They might be scared of moving to a place where they believe their opinion would not matter and they would be forced to live according to the ‘institution’s’ rules and regulations.
First of all, remind them that they would be moving to a community, not an institution, where each member will be encouraged to retain his or her independence. They would have a say in everything that concerns them and would be allowed to say ‘No’ whenever they don’t feel like doing anything asked of them.
They can even cook if they want to! Arbor View Assisted Living understands how agitating it can be to live your life according to someone else’s rules. This is why we will guarantee them “Independence with Peace of Mind!”
- Fear of the Unknown:
Even the idea of moving to a new place you know nothing about and have heard all sorts of frightening rumors can be terrifying. This is why you have to gently ease them into accepting that they can no longer live on their own and need that extra care and stimulation.
Convince them to come on a tour with you of an assisted living community. Show them around, and ask a lot of questions from the management concerning care and social activities the occupants experience and enjoy so that your loved ones can be satisfied that you are not just abandoning them.
When surveying the room, help them imagine how their furniture would look in it. Take dimensions, measure! Let them visualize what can be added to make it even more comfortable for them. Allow them to talk to some of the occupants there so that they can hear for themselves that this would be the better option. Let them participate in some of the activities or join in a meal so that they can see how much fun it would be to socialize once again!
All in all, don’t try to speed up the process of convincing your beloved seniors to move to an assisted living community. Allow them time to deliberate all the options before taking that final step. Remember, it is very difficult to convince yourself to make even a little change, and you are expecting them to give over their old way of life for a new one.
Be empathetic and patient, and gently remind them of the advantages of moving to an assisted living community. If you feel like your parents or grandparents are ready to visit Arbor View, contact us today to set up a tour. Because we know we will provide them with the “Care they Need for the Life they Want!”
