The decision to place an elderly person in an assisted living facility can be difficult and challenging. But the thought of your elder family members being placed in an environment that can assure they stay healthy and happy, must prevail.
There comes a point in their life when they are simply not able to take care of themselves anymore, and such facilities are the best option. Here are some of the signs that indicate your elderly family members are ready for moving to such a facility:
- They are no longer able to live independently
- They need help in performing daily activities (dressing, maintaining hygiene)
- They need help taking medication
- They have fallen several times in the past 6 months
- Frequent visits to the doctor
- Poor eating and/or hygiene habits
- Depressed states, lethargy, and laziness in performing daily activities
When you assess whether your elderly are ready and would be better off in assisted living, the question of how to get them to move arises. Here’s what we suggest:
1. Make a detailed plan
The plan should include all the important points in order not to miss something. Things like the deadline for moving, sorting out the belongings, and moving into the facility are considered some of the most important things you should include in the plan. Also, delegate tasks to other family members, and keep track of the progress.
2. Renting a storage space
As moving is a huge step, you’ll be facing a lot of issues when it comes to what to do with your belongings. Surely you don’t want to sell or give away things they feel very sentimental about, and you also may not be ready to just say goodbye to everything. A good solution is to rent a storage space to move all their belongings there. This way, whenever there’s a need, they will be reachable.
3. Make the transition smooth by touring the facility
You want the process to be as smooth as possible, so visiting the venue a couple of times before actually moving might be a good idea. Some of them have so much interesting content, that the elders will surely enjoy while staying there. To learn more about what kind of services your elders will be offered, a venue like Assisted Living Twin Falls Idaho is a good example.
4. Have a regular conversation with the staff
Your number one concern will probably be who is taking care of your family members, and what kind of personalities they are. Here, it is important to include your elders in the communication, as they also need to get to know people who will be spending time taking care of them. It will make transitions a lot easier.
5. Acknowledge the change
Make the whole process exciting for them. Take them shopping for new things they will be using in the place where they are moving, and make it a fun one. When you speak about this change, make sure it is affirmative and positive. Make it look like something exciting is about to happen. Which, in fact, is true. It’s a fresh chapter in their life, and they deserve to enjoy it.
If you have been having second thoughts about whether or not to move your elder to an assisted living facility, read below some of the advantages they offer.
1. Security and safety
Older people usually live in older houses/flats that require more regular maintenance, and this can be a serious challenge even when a person is hired to help with the chores. An additional problem is exposure to injuries, of which as much as 80% occur in the bathroom. In these facilities, there are no such challenges because the maintenance of the household is taken care of by professionals, and the home is designed to enable mobility and accessibility – toilets and bathrooms adapted for the elderly, spacious hallways, elevators, handrails and the like. Older people are often targeted by burglars and fraudsters. The presence of staff in the home is provided 24 hours a day.
2. The end of loneliness, isolation, and feelings of helplessness
If they live alone, the elderly are at greater risk of social isolation and an increased sense of loneliness and depression. If they last, such periods can cause serious health problems – depression, chronic diseases such as dementia or heart disease, or lead unhealthy behaviors such as smoking. All this significantly reduces the quality of life in old age and increases the risk of premature death.
Constant contact with peers with whom they share the same joys and worries awakens in them the will to live and socialize. Their self-confidence grows, but so does their sense of belonging. They realize that they are not alone in the world and that they share most of the problems with others which makes them much more open to positive change.
3. A healthier lifestyle without too much effort
To meet their nutritional needs, older singles often have to rely on family help. Even when they are able to buy and prepare food on their own, many of them do not pay attention to a healthy diet, avoid cooking, and resort to faster solutions such as junk food or skipping meals. For home users, the menus are created in advance and care is taken to keep the food both healthy and delicious.
4. Peace of mind
The family knows that they have provided the best possible care to their oldest members, and the elderly know that they live in a safe environment in which they can always rely on someone. They also feel great relief because they know that they do not represent an obligation and a burden to their children or family. They can relax and freely enjoy the things that interest them, without feelings of guilt or shame.
Assisted living facilities are a perfect way to make what is the rest of their life, a quality one. When the time comes, don’t hesitate to make this decision.
