Helping Your Loved One Understand that Assisted Living in Hutchinson MN is just a New Beginning!
Getting to the stage in life when a loved one has to leave the comfort of the home they have known most of their life can be stressful and feel like the end of the world to some seniors. There are ways to make the process easier for your loved one and help them cope with the move to assisted living.
The transition often goes smoother if you plan conversations in advance that bridge the subject of moving to an assisted living facility before health conditions make the move immediate. Inquire about the fears they have regarding moving. Talking about it may provide the answers they need to subdue their anxieties.
Visit an assisted living facility with your loved one and speak to someone to gain information about living arrangements, services available, and activities offered. Talk to the staff and some residents. Getting a tour of the facility may put the mind of your loved one at ease or they can express their concerns and dislikes.
Sorting through your loved one's belongings in advance can also make the move easier. Create three piles as you sort. One pile is for the items that must go to the facility. Another pile is for items that are going to be discarded either by being thrown away, donated, or given to friends or family and the third pile is for items that can either go or stay behind.
Consider the safety and well-being of your loved one above anything else. Do not let your emotions control your ability to make the decisions that need to be made in order to keep your loved one safe.
Let your loved one voice their opinion or concerns regarding the facilities that you are researching. Most assisted living facilities promote independence without the worries that come with owning a home. Living arrangements at a facility could mean having their own space while having help with daily functions they may have trouble with.
Explain the advantages of living within a community where you can keep to yourself if you want to but you can also be a social butterfly. Having fellowship with other residents and participating in the activities available will be better for their health than just sitting alone at home.
If the proper research is done and the consideration of your loved one's needs are taken into account, assisted living doesn't have to be the end of the world.
For more information about Assisted Living consider the Birchwood House in Hutchinson, MN, and call our friendly staff at (320) 587-7737.