Is it time to help your parents prepare for a move into an assisted living community? Moving your parents to a new community can feel like a complicated task, but that doesn’t mean the process has to be painful or difficult. If you’re preparing aging parents for assisted living, some research and planning can make a huge difference.
Tips to Help Your Parents Get Ready For a Senior Living Community
Are you concerned about helping your parents move into assisted living? Start by reviewing the following tips:
Start Learning About Your Options
One of the best things you can do when preparing aging parents for assisted living is to start learning about potential communities, preferably well before they plan their move. Learning about assisted living communities can help dispel your parent’s anxieties and give them things to get excited about. It will also help you all make an informed choice that you feel good about. Take some time to look together and visit a few options if possible.
Emphasize The “Living” in Senior Living
Another way to help your parents prepare for the transition is to focus on how assisted living can improve their lives. An assisted living community is meant to provide enough support for residents to thrive and offer plenty of opportunities to have fun and socialize. That’s why assisted living communities boast tons of modern amenities and calendars full of activities for residents to enjoy. Ask your parents what would excite them about a new community, and help them explore their options.
Downsize With Compassion
Moving into an assisted living community often involves re-organizing your possessions into a smaller, or at least different, space than the one you’re leaving. Help your parents be realistic and proactive about the downsizing process. Help them identify the necessities they need to bring, but also help them find new homes for heirlooms and sentimental possessions that matter to them. If you can afford to rent a storage unit, it can give you additional time to sort through things that aren’t coming with you without impacting your moving timeline.
Be reliable, consistent, and supportive
A common anxiety for aging parents is the way that moving into an assisted living community may negatively affect their relationships with people outside of the community. You can help them realize there’s nothing to worry about by being a reliable source of support throughout the process. Discuss any lingering anxieties with them, and talk about ways you can help everyone stay connected after the move. You can also plan regular visits with your parents as they settle into the community to help them adjust. Always be patient and validate their concerns while encouraging them to seek positive solutions.
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Did you know that the staff at assisted living communities usually have resources and knowledge that can help make your move more manageable? Reach out to the staff at your prospective community and ask for their recommendations on preparing aging parents for assisted living.
Are you seeking a premier assisted living and memory care community in downtown Greenville, South Carolina? Visit us at Waterstone on Augusta. Our community is relaxing and elegant, and we strive to enhance the quality of life of the seniors we serve through teamwork and unity. To learn more about our amenities and to view our lovely community, please schedule a tour online or call us today at 864-605-7236.