Moving to a Senior Living Community
Having Important Conversations
Tips for Talking to Your Loved Ones about Senior Living
Despite if moving to a senior living community is what’s best for your loved one, it can still be a difficult decision for you and your family. At Westwood Inn, we’ve walked through this process with many families, and we understand the emotional toll it can take on a caregiver. We created this simple guide to help you navigate this time of transition.
We recommend starting by dropping hints and planting small seeds with your loved one. It’s best to not go into a conversation as if the decision is already made. Instead, be patient and calm, and genuinely listen to the concerns of the senior adult in your life.
A support system will not only help you navigate this journey, but they will be there for your loved one, too. Involving your siblings, friends, or other family members can show your loved one just how much their health and safety means to you.
If your loved one’s doctor believes that the senior adult in your life would benefit from senior living, then your loved one may be able to see how much is required for their needs daily.
Making a plan about how you will pay for senior living is critical. It’s important for you and your loved one to understand the costs and services available in varying communities.
Change is never easy. Talk with your loved ones about what they are afraid of or what they will miss the most about being at home. Remember that it’s always difficult to move, but they could be afraid of losing quality time with you, losing their personal items and independence, or that they’ll be forgotten about. Reassure your loved one and address their concerns compassionately.
Finally, when your loved one is ready, take tours of local senior living facilities. Often, you can relieve many of their fears when they see a high-quality senior living community that offers extensive amenities, social events, and is centrally located.
Hopefully, with these tips, you can effectively and kindly address the concerns of your loved ones about moving to a senior living community.