You can’t expect your old parents to pack their bags and be ready to leave for a senior care facility when you tell them that you won’t be around to look after them.
Breaking the news to the elderly about their move to a senior care facility might seem like the biggest challenge but preparing them for the move is where the actual challenge lies.
Elderly people can be rigid at times, and when it comes to leaving home they built with so much love, it’ll be much more heartbreaking for both of you.
But fret not. If you prepare older adults for their move to a senior care facility the right way, things will be a lot easier for you and them both.
Let Your Beloved Senior Take Charge
Instead of telling them that they’ll be moving to a senior care facility on a particular day, let them decide when they want to move. Be prepared for an answer ‘never.’ Talk to them about the dangers and risks of living alone at their age and also highlight the many pros of living in a senior care home.
Once you think you’ve broken the ice, give your beloved senior full charge of the move. From choosing what they want to take along to how they want their new room to be decorated, let them decide everything. This would https://unsplash.com/photos/lK0l9pzxLpsmake them feel like they’re a part of the decision and nothing is being forced on them.
Let Them Choose the Facility
Visit different senior care facilities with your aged parents or grandparents (whoever you wish to move to a senior care home), let them explore, and finally, let them decide which facility they want to live in.
When you give them the decision power, they’ll invest more emotions into choosing what they think is best for them, and then moving into a facility they chose themselves won’t feel as hard.
Help Them Set Up Their New Room
Don’t make it feel like it’s a hotel that they’ll be staying in. Help your beloved senior set their new room to their liking. Let them decorate the room with their favorite pictures, artwork, and curtains of their choice so they don’t feel like they’re living in an unfamiliar place. Make their new room look as familiar to them as you can. Most importantly, keep them involved throughout.
Talk and Spend Time with Them
Talk about how the new place will positively impact their life and spend as much time with them as you possibly can. This would make them feel that they were never a burden on you, which is not why you decided to move them to a senior care home. This would help the seniors eliminate the emotional pain and burden they feel.
Inspirit Senior Living is the best place to choose for your beloved senior for all the right reasons. We take care of the smallest needs of all our residents and ensure they don’t feel lonely, neglected, or emotionally weak. From beautician services to home-cooked meals, your beloved senior will be able to enjoy everything you want for them!
