The Emotions And Fears of Transitioning To An Assisted Living Facility
Once you have selected an assisted living home, and everyone has come to an agreement, and now it is time for the transition. For many people, moving and transitioning is stressful. The transitioning from home, a familiar environment, to a new environment, an unfamiliar environment can trigger emotions and fears for everyone. Any change can stir up emotions, whether it’s moving to a new house or a new city. You and your parents should be open to these emotions and let yourselves experience them and know that motivation is behind feelings. Often fear can hold you back from fully experiencing life and sometimes that fear is not real. Find Senior Living for your loved ones!
Adult children may feel guilty for allowing their loved one to go to an assisted living facility. Seniors may feel guilty for being a burden, or they deny their feeling of insecurity. These feelings are natural; however, it is crucial to understand the causes and how they can be managed. Having someone to talk to about the uncertainty is essential.
The decision to make this transition is the beginning of a challenging and lengthy process, and it requires planning, patience and research. It would help if you familiarized yourself with the daily routines, availability of services, and floor plan of the apartment. Let’s say that the assisted living home you chose provides simple housekeeping, meals and hygiene assistance. If your parent can perform a little housework, prepare snacks, or keep up their hygiene, you should let them do so. These chores will give them some semblance of home. You should review these chores with your parents to make sure it is safe for them to perform. A routine can help with the transition.
A smooth transition requires effort from the senior and family members. Here are some do’s and don’ts for the family members. Do keep an open mind. Moving to a new home require adjustment and change. Don’t feel guilty. Guilt does you no good, and it is unhealthy. Do know that this transition is for the best because it will benefit your parent health and well-being. Do keep in touch. You play an essential role in this transition. Do make sure your parents are socializing and getting to know people and their new surrounding. When you visit, bring personal items. The items should have meaning to your parents. Bring items like pictures, keepsakes, etc.
In addition to fear and difficult emotions, the senior and their family members face many challenges. When moving, the question like what can I bring, what should I leave behind, and what happened to the things I can’t bring. There is packing, organizing, sorting, storing and downsizing. The sorting and downsizing are by far the biggest hurdle. Seniors are overwhelmed by the task of sorting through memories, boxes, and paperwork. They find it hard to let go of items associated with childhood memories. The sentimental feeling can put even more strain on seniors.
Some of the stress can be a move by hiring a Senior Mover. Relocating is an emotional process, and these professionals are trained to help seniors and their family member from beginning to end. They specialize in organizing, downsizing and packing for seniors. Some of their services include customization of floor plans to show you what your home would look like with your furniture. They arrange auction, donation and estate sales. They, of course, do the packing, unpacking and storage. Other services include waste removal, shopping, cleaning, help with realtor selection and prepare homes to be sold.