When you're trying to decide how to choose assisted living, it can seem overwhelming. How do you find the perfect community for your senior loved one? How do you ensure it fits their budget? How do you know this is where the next chapter should unfold? These aren’t easy questions to answer, but there is a way to make the process easier – involve family members.
How Can Family Help When It Comes to Senior Living?
How can families help when it’s time to choose an assisted living community and decide which community is the right fit? Here are some key areas where they can alleviate the stress in the decision-making process for you and your senior loved one.
Needs Support: Family members often have more insight when it comes to their loved one’s needs, and this insight can prove invaluable in the decision-making process. They can assist their senior loved one and the rest of the family by:
- Notice any physical or mental changes in their loved one to best assess the level of care they need, as well as communicate those changes to doctors and senior living staff. This ensures that their loved one receives the right level of care in their new home.
- Advocate for the elements their senior loved one needs to feel safe and comfortable in their new home – whether it’s the type of apartment they need or enrichment and activities that they might like to participate in at their new community.
- Help ensure that their loved one is able to continue pursuing hobbies and interests that they enjoyed before moving into a senior living community. Whether it’s dietary preferences or playing golf on weekends, family members can ensure that their loved one has continuity in the things they enjoy.
Practical Support: Practical support is another important area in which families can help decide how to choose assisted living. They can:
- Research community options and the levels of care provided to find the right type of support
- Tour communities and use a personalized checklist to determine if the assisted living community fits their senior loved one’s needs and wishes
- Engage with staff and other residents to get a feel for the community and the level of connection there
- Ask important questions of staff and advisors at the community
- Navigate how senior living costs will be covered – family members can figure out available funding sources, look for alternate funding options, and even contribute to senior living costs.
Emotional Support: Family is an incredible source of emotional support. Choosing and moving into an assisted living community can be a stressful time for seniors and their loved ones alike, and having family around can help allay some of that stress. Family members can:
- Help their senior loved ones manage anxiety or fear about this major life change
- Facilitate open communication so their senior family member feels free to discuss options, preferences, and needs when choosing assisted living communities
- Further, families can sometimes experience guilt when it comes time to move their senior loved one into an assisted living community. Having multiple family members involved can alleviate guilt by reassuring everyone that this decision is in their loved one’s best interests.
Transitional Support: The move itself into an assisted living community can be a big change for seniors, and it can be overwhelming at times. Family members can help by:
- Helping with sorting and packing belongings before the move
- Being there for the physical move and helping set up their loved one’s new living space so they feel comfortable and at home
- Helping their senior loved one settle in – exploring the community with them, ensuring they have access to activities and enrichment, and engaging with staff and other residents
All in all, family can be an invaluable resource in multiple ways when it comes to choosing and moving into an assisted living community.
Get More Tips on How to Choose Assisted Living Today
Need additional assistance on how to choose assisted living? The experts at The Canopy at Azalea Grove are here to help – contact us today. We can schedule a tour for you and your loved one, answer questions, and even give you answers when it comes to funding senior care.