Moving to Assisted Living

Making the move to assisted living can be very hard for older people.  Think of it from their point of view:  they have lived on their own for so many decades without a problem and now they are being taken from all they have worked for to an unknown place.

To make things easier for you and your loved one you may consider the following:

·         Safety is the first issue at hand.  If the loved one in question has had falls, forgets easily, or any other questionable behavior you need to consider safety first.  All older people will be defensive about their abilities and you would be too.  Just keep in mind that their safety is not negotiable.

·         Get the best assisted living situation to meet the person’s personality.  If the person is very sociable and active you need to make sure that the facility you are moving them to is going to facilitate their activity level and interests.

·         Does the whole family agree?  There is not a lot worse than contention over the well being of a loved one.  Make sure to have a family meeting, even if by phone, to discuss options.  If you have done your research you will have many things to bring up.  Naturally the person in the family or support system closest to the person in question should be a very clear voice of reason.

·         Be sure to take your loved one to the facility multiple times before the move happens.  This can insure that there are familiar faces where they are moving.  No one wants to move into a group that they don’t know.

·         Talk to a social worker at the facility about your loved one’s talents and abilities.  There may be a niche that only your loved one can fill at the facility and this can give your loved one purpose.  The social worker will be very willing to help assist with this in most cases.

·         Try to visit as much as possible.  Especially during the first month there is a lot of stress on the part of the elderly person. 

·         Make sure that the person has as many of their home comforts as possible.  Help them make their new home really a “home”.  This is especially important for women who have taken pride in making their home wonderful for their whole lives.

·         Get help and support when needed.  Most good facilities will have staff that care and resources available.