Reveive your free Custom Care Guide

Let us put together a care guide personalized with the best information on how to care for your elderly loved one.

Stay Informed

Receive weekly AgingCare updates directly to your inbox.

Moving Seniors to Assisted Living

Bookmark and Share
Text Size
 
 

Although no family wants to put their aging parents into an assisted living facility, it is necessary when the elderly person can no longer be cared for at home.

Making the move isn’t easy. Here are some tips that can help caregivers and their elderly parents.

Plan ahead. Take the time to thoroughly research options. Finding the right care facility ensures you choose the right one for your parent’s needs.

Expect waiting lists. Allow time to move up the lengthy waiting list that many good facilities have.

Visit often. Call and visit often during the first few weeks. When the new surroundings are unfamiliar, seeing a family member can do wonders for raising spirits and making the transition easier. It also helps your parents realize that aren’t going to be forgotten in their new home.

Make it feel like home. One of the hardest things for your parent is parting with all of those things he or she has accumulated over a lifetime. Make the room feel as much like home as possible. Bring along your elderly parent’s family photos, a favorite chair and footstool, a familiar bedspread, and treasured knickknacks. Check with the facility’s rule on bringing personal items.

Organize. Make sure your aging parents know where things are. Your aging parents will feel much more in control of their environment when it is easy for them to find what they are looking for. Organize the closets and invest in storage solutions such as baskets or bins.

Make friends. Mom or Dad needs social connections – particularly if they still have full mental capacity. Introduce your parents to other residents – and ask the staff to do the same. Read the activity schedule and choose two or three programs that your parent can attend early on to meet your neighbors and other residents.

Stay positive. It’s hard for adult children to see parents moving out of their childhood home and into an “old folks” home. In caregivers mind, the move represents “the end is near” for their aging parents. Even though you might feel these emotions, do not show them in front of your parent. The transition is very emotional for them, and they need positive reinforcement and support.

Moving your elderly parent into an assisted living facility is never easy, but it can be made less painful for caregivers, family and most importantly, the elder.

Bookmark and Share

Comments

Add Your Comment

Please stay on topic or start a new discussion. Only helpful tips, support, and guidance should be entered here.


Must-Read Articles

Checklist for Caregivers: Finding Assisted Living for Your Elderly Mom or Dad

Questions and Answers about Assisted Living for Elderly Parents

Assisted Living: How to Help Your Aging Parent Make a Successful Transition

Survey of Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs

Find Senior Living & Housing




Ask AgingCare - Get Answers from the real experts...other caregivers

Provide additional details 140 Characters Left

Meet our Elder Care Expert

 
Aging Parents and Elder Care Expert

LynnHarrelson

Lynn Harrelson

R.Ph., FASCP. Senior Pharmacy Solutions
Louisville, Kentucky

Lynn Harrelson is a pharmacist who specializes in medication and prescription management for seniors. She provides health care services and information that help individuals remain independent in their homes, retirement and assisted living facilities.

Read this Expert's Bio »

Stay Informed

Sign up to receive weekly updates from AgingCare directly to your inbox.

The material of this web site is provided for informational purposes only. AgingCare.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment; or legal, financial or any other professional services advice. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
©2010 MediaBrains Inc. All rights reserved.