For those who are caring for elderly loved ones at home, you probably have toyed with the idea of sending them to an assisted living community. This is especially so if leaving them alone at home for any amount of time endangers their safety. Unsurprisingly, it can be rather heart-wrenching for individuals who have to make this decision. However, considering that most caregivers to elderly parents are their adult children who are holding full-time jobs, as well as young children to take care of, there are often no viable alternatives. For the individual elderly concerned, they more often than not experience some form of distress as well during the transition from independent living to assisted living. At Rittenhouse Village At Northside, we understand these concerns and as such, we have compiled some tips below to hopefully make this transition easier for both you and your elderly loved one.
Get Your Loved One Involved
Oftentimes, family members leave their elderly loved ones out of any discussion which involves sending them to an assisted living community for fear of upsetting them. However, by failing to inform them before the decision is made, you leave your loved ones vulnerable to emotional distress during the moving-in process and have trouble acclimatizing to their new environment. To prevent this from happening, you should involve your loved ones throughout the entire process. For instance, most assisted living communities, including Rittenhouse Village At Northside, offer scheduled tours for prospective residents and their loved ones. It is highly suggested that you go on such tours as a family to facilitate the making of better, informed decisions.
Extol the Benefits
Instead of focusing on how their moving into an assisted living community will alleviate your caregiving burden, shift the conversation to center on your elderly loved ones instead. For instance, if they have experienced numerous falls in the bathroom, talk about how moving into an assisted living community means that there will be professional and dedicated staff on hand every hour of the day to supervise them while showering. If they are forgetful about taking their medication, inform them that medication management is just one of many services provided in assisted living communities.
Make It Homely
Of course, an assisted living community will never be exactly like home. Nevertheless, a homely atmosphere can still be created. One way of doing so is to decorate their room to make it resemble home. For instance, you could bring as many personal items which possess sentimental value to your elderly loved ones or place photographs of loved ones in highly visible places. You could even bring their favorite bedding and linen if you so wish.
Hear From Residents
While going on a scheduled tour is one way to find out more about an assisted living community, nothing beats hearing about your desired assisted living community directly from its residents. Recounts of first-hand experience often work better to alleviate any doubts than hearing from staff or reading information from a brochure. At Rittenhouse Village At Northside, our residents live dignified, happy, and enriching lives, and they are more than happy to share with you their experiences!
