After learning about the benefits of assisted living, you know it is the right decision for your family, but it is still a difficult transition for the caregiver and their loved one. It is important for you to understand the major changes your family member will experience during this move and offer them your support.
It can take 1-3 months for an older adult to fully adjust to their new surroundings. The lack of familiarity with their living space and fellow residents can be quite scary. Check out these tips to make your parent’s transition to assisted living as smooth as possible:
Make Them Feel At Home
Set up their new living area with personal belongings such as pictures, blankets, pillows and whatever other items that will make them feel comfortable. Surrounding them with familiar objects will help your loved one feel at home. We also suggest taking them to their new apartment or room a few times before they move in full time so they can get used to their new home.
Keep In Touch
Your loved one is in a new and unfamiliar place, so keeping contact with them will make them feel less alone. Call them regularly and be sure to visit your elderly parent often. This is the perfect time to check in on them and make sure that they are socializing. You should also make a point to talk to the assisted living staff every once in a while to see what they have to say about your loved one’s adjustment.
Give Them Space
Though keeping contact is with your loved one is important, it is also important to give them enough space so that they can learn to be independent in their new home. Visiting too often can hold them back from socializing and getting involved with the assisted living community. Encourage them to attend assisted living events and activities and make new friends.
Don’t Feel Guilty
It’s common for caregivers to feel guilty when they move their family member into assisted living, but you must remember that this was the right decision for you and your loved one. Reassure your loved one that they are moving into a new chapter of their life and that they are not losing independence.
With these tips, your parents or family member will feel comfortable in their assisted living facility in no time. At Wilf Campus, we provide our residents with the highest quality care. For more information about our assisted living services, contact our senior care specialist at (732) 568-1155, [email protected] or visit us at www.wilfcampus.org.