How to Encourage Your Parent to Move to a Senior Living Community
Millions of people each year struggle with transitioning their parents to senior living communities. The transition isn’t always easy, especially for parents struggling with health issues or memory issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Sometimes it takes a bit of encouragement to convince a parent that transitioning to assisted care is the best course of action. Here are a few tips on how to approach the subject in a careful and compassionate way.
Talk Through the Options
Encouraging a parent to move to assisted or independent living starts with a conversation. Take the time to sit down with your parent to talk about their situation, their feelings, and all of the options.
Simply being deliberate and thorough about the options on the table will leave everyone involved more at peace and more confident moving forward.
Go for a Tour
The great thing about touring independent and assisted living communities is that there’s no commitment. You are free to tour any facility with your loved one without obligation or pressure to move in. Framing the tour in this way should help alleviate uneasiness and will allow your parent to see what the communities have to offer.
Talk to Current Residents
One of the most effective ways to gather information about what it’s like to transition to senior living is to talk to seniors who have already made the move. Current residents will be able to speak about their experiences and offer advice to someone considering making the move.
There are several ways to get in touch with current senior living residents. Your parent can join a community senior group, reach out to a friend or acquaintance, or even request to speak to a resident at a community they’re interested in.
Give Them Control
When encouraging your parent to move into a senior living community, it’s important to let them have as much control of the situation as possible. The last thing you want is to force them into a living situation they’re not comfortable with.
Many times the transition will not happen overnight. It can take weeks or months to get them comfortable with the idea and letting them control the planning process and the conversation around the move can go a long way.
MorningStar of Sparks
MorningStar of Sparks strives to provide the highest-quality assisted and independent living community in the industry. Our compassionate team of professionals, along with our top-of-the-line community and amenities, aim to ensure that all of our residents feel valued, comfortable, and able to make the most of their retirement.
We offer a variety of care options from independent living to memory care, and we’re ready to help you transition a parent to a community when they’re ready. Call us today to learn more about our services.