Adjusting to a new living environment can be very difficult, especially for older individuals who are used to living alone and providing for themselves. One of the best things that you can do for a loved one is to support them in this period of transition. Moving into an assisted living community can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. The right support can help your loved one to more quickly and easily adjust to their new lifestyle.
1. Help Find the Right Assisted Living Community for Them
The right assisted living community can have a transformative effect on a person’s life, health, and mental wellbeing. However, the wrong assisted living community can have very negative effects, leading to isolation and a decline in mental wellbeing. One of the best ways that you can support an elderly relative transition into assisted living is to help them find the best-suited community.
As Brightview Senior Living explains, one of the best ways to find out if a senior living community is the right match for a loved one is to ask questions. You should consult the staff to find out what the community offers in terms of location, activities, and amenities. You should also try and chat with members of the community to find out what they think of the living arrangements. The more that you know about an assisted living community, the better able you are to judge the suitability for your loved one.
2. Help Them Decorate
If the new room or apartment looks too generic, then it will be difficult for your loved one to truly feel at home. You should assist in making the space feel more homely by helping your relative decorate their new surroundings.
3. Visit Regularly
Adjusting to a new living arrangement can be very difficult, and it is likely to be made even harder if your loved one feels isolated from their friends and family outside the community. You should visit your loved one regularly, especially in the early days, to ensure that they continue to feel supported in their new home.
4. Help Them to Maintain Independence
You should try to help your loved ones maintain a sense of independence in their new living arrangements. Of course, you will have to take their health and capabilities into consideration. If they can drive safely, you should try to get them access to a car, so they can get out and about when they want to.
Maintaining a sense of independence does not have to mean being able to get out in a car; in fact, it can come in very simple things, like being able to cook your own meals. If your loved one enjoys cooking for themselves, you should try to make arrangements, so they are able to do so safely.
Moving into an assisted living community can seem like you have to give up your independence. You should try and make arrangements to ensure that your loved one has the ability to maintain their independence.
Dr. Declan Pouros
A senior academic researcher, reviewer, and editor, Dr. Declan Pouros is also an internationally accredited psychotherapist. He earned his PhD in Psychological Counseling and Guidance, and in the years since, he has taught in the Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance himself.He has also authored papers that have gone on to appear in such world-renowned journals as the European Journal of Psychological Assessment, Psychological Reports, the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. Asia Pacific Psychiatry, and Computers in Human Behaviour.
