Sometimes it is hard to decide on the right time to enter a senior living community. When you start to see signs the time may be near for senior adults you love to transition to residential living, you should consider immediately starting to discuss the reasons for this choice with them.
Excellent senior living in Concord CA is available for you with TreVista Senior Living & Memory Care. Let’s look at a few ways to open the discussion for making this move with your loved ones.
5 IDEAS FOR TALKING TO YOUR AGING PARENT
#1) Introduce your parents to what senior living offers
Senior living today is far different than your parents may realize. They may remember their family members at residences where they spent most of their time in their rooms watching TV; however, that is not the case at many senior living communities today.
Finding excellent senior living in Concord CA like ours at TreVista Senior Living & Memory Care can be the beginning of a new active lifestyle, with game nights, classes, and even group outings. There are ample opportunities with events planned every week. Many thriving senior residences like TreVista have an activity director who makes these plans regularly and works with members of the community to ensure there are activities they will enjoy. Check out TreVista’s monthly calendar on this page to see several of the opportunities available here.
In addition, many who are considering moving into a senior adult residence will enjoy hearing about the dining options and food choices. These are a wonderful and healthy benefit for all who live there.
#2) Talk about their emotions
Moving can be overwhelming at anytime, and a move into a senior living home is a major decision that can be scary for those making the move. It is important to talk about the different emotions your parents may be feeling as you discuss this possibility. If your parents are able to still make decisions themselves, you must allow them to do so. Oftentimes, it may be hard for adult children who have had to assist in caretaking to step back and listen to their needs and concerns and, especially, allow them to make their own decisions.
There are several details you may need to think about that could bring both you and your loved ones uncomfortable emotions, such as how independently can they get around and take care of basic needs? Are they already having any memory issues to consider? What medical care or assistance with medication is required? Knowing the answers to these questions helps when deciding on the best senior living in Concord CA. Know what is most important to your loved one as far as their activities and desires.
#3) Discuss your feelings
You are bound to have feelings wrapped up in this decision as well. Even if you have been happy to assist in primary caretaking duties up until this time, those can often become overwhelming and eventually more than untrained individuals can handle. Be honest about your own feelings when talking to your loved ones about a move into a residential senior living community. They may need to hear your feelings just as you need to be aware of theirs.
If you find yourself in this position and the need to find a senior living community, reach out to us at TreVista for more information and a tour, so we can help you with your decision.
#4) Stay positive
The path to this decision can be a long road, and so it is important to stay positive as you explore options and make your choice about the living arrangements. Any negative emotions your loved ones exhibit are likely from fears they have about making a move like this and about what is to come in their lives.
Showing a positive approach of your own, and making sure to encourage your loved ones by sharing the many amenities at TreVista could go a long way in helping create a smooth transition into this new living situation. Our staff would be happy to help make the idea of a move more amenable to your loved ones.
#5) Talk about the unknowns that could occur
Although you will have to discuss and figure out what you need initially for your loved ones, it is important for you to consider issues or situations that could occur later that could affect the living situation in a different way. For instance, your loved one might need only assisted living care for now. It’s important to know what options there are if your loved one will need more in depth care in the future or might need to transition into memory care.
Also, what level of assistance do your loved ones require? Consider all of their daily needs and medical needs. It is important to consider everything from their morning routine through nighttime. Then, you need to find out what happens if their need for care increases. Does the community you are considering have different levels of care offered? At TreVista, we have a variety of care levels from assisted living apartments to memory care rooms to fit all needs.
Exceptional Senior Living in Concord CA with TreVista
Be prepared to discuss these ideas with your senior loved ones and to listen to their concerns. Of course, this move may be very difficult for them, and it’s crucial that they can tell that you realize this. The move may feel like giving up a significant level of independence when, in reality, many communities offer a great number of activities for their residents to keep them engaged in life and help them make new friends.
If you would like to find out more information about what we have to offer at TreVista, please join us for a tour. We would love to show you and your loved ones around and help alleviate any fears you all may have about moving into our community!