Helping a senior family member move into a senior supportive living community is a massive event for the entire family. The move is likely to greatly improve the quality of life for seniors, including making way for better access to necessary care and assistance, but it can still be a period of significant adjustment. These tips can help to make the process smoother.
Choose the Right Community
Part of ensuring that the move goes as well as possible involves choosing the right community. There’s a lot of research involved, including location, amenities, activities, and the types of care offered. The right senior supportive living community is going to meet as many needs as possible for seniors needing care.
Open and Honest Communication is Essential
Keeping the lines of communication as open and honest as possible is so important for families. It’s also vital to keep seniors involved in the process of choosing the right community and making the move. This helps to ensure that seniors experience less shock and overwhelm as they settle into their new retirement community.
Put Together a Transition Plan
Having a detailed plan for the move is a crucial aspect that leads directly to success. The right plan involves setting deadlines and creating timelines that help make it easier to meet those deadlines. A thorough plan also involves outlining responsibilities and logistics for the entire move.
Look at What Downsizing Needs to Happen
Few seniors who are planning a move into senior supportive living communities can take everything they own with them. That means that there might be some decisions involving downsizing those possessions and getting serious about what goes with them to the new space. Retirement communities might have more limited space available than seniors expect, so it’s important to properly estimate what they can take.
Offer Emotional Support
There are likely to be a lot of feelings involved in this move, on both sides. Family caregivers must be there to offer emotional support and plenty of reassurance to their seniors. Acknowledging those big feelings, especially the ones of loss and uncertainty, is an important step in helping seniors move through them.
Prepare for an Adjustment Period
Any big change brings with it an adjustment period, and moving to a senior living community qualifies as a big change. There might be some resistance and discomfort for seniors at first, but acknowledging those feelings and talking about them can help. Over time, as adjustment happens, those feelings are likely to pop up less often.
Continue to Be an Advocate
Family caregivers need to also stay involved and continue to advocate for their senior family members. Regular visits are important, as is finding ways to stay up to date on care plans and needs. All of this helps seniors to know that they’ve got the support they need to enjoy their new lives.
The right senior living community makes a massive difference for aging seniors. Making that move means making that transition as easy as possible for everyone involved. It takes time and a bit of effort, but families can smooth the path for the seniors they love.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Supportive Living in O’Fallon, IL, or surrounding areas, please contact the caring staff at Knollwood Retirement Community today at (618) 226-5755
Offering seniors age 65 and older a wealth of amenities to retain as much independence as they are able, with support, in a home-like environment in our supportive living community.
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