The moment you realize your elderly mother needs more than the support you can offer, elder care becomes an almost all-encompassing thought. You want to know the right thing for her to do, but what will that be? Assisted living offers many of the best benefits and you’d do well to help you understand those advantages.
Selecting the right assisted living community for her or anyone else isn’t always easy, though. There are a few factors to keep in mind, and we outline three of them here.
Factor #1: It should be her choice.
Too often, when we’re worried about our loved ones, we start to take on a tremendous responsibility. That means you could be so focused on securing the best elder care for your mother that she doesn’t have a choice in the matter.
Avoid making that simple mistake if you can. Always bring it back to the simple reality that she should be the one who gets the choice. Yes, you may do a ton of research, take tours, and exhausted yourself trying to secure a place, but did you go over all of this with her?
Ultimately, it’s her decision whatever elder care solution she chooses, and it would be a good idea to start from that point of thinking.
Factor #2: What are the amenities and/or activities available?
The moment you begin looking into assisted living, consider the activities the facility puts on. Are there arts and crafts? Are there entertainment options? Does the facility help residents get out to a local park? A mall? Or other points of interest?
Do they bring in outside experts to assist with some of these activities? If so, what are some examples? The more you research and learn about assisted living and what it provides to elderly residents, the more effective you’ll be at helping your aging mother see that moving isn’t about giving up, but about enjoying life and improving the quality of it.
Factor #3: What kind of community is there for seniors?
One of the best aspects that assisted living provides is the sense of community for seniors. Many aging men and women become lonely, especially when they live at home alone. They often complain they can’t see their friends or do things with them, at least not the way they used to.
At a quality assisted living facility, there should be a strong sense of community, one that helps each other, a group of seniors who look out for one another, and where they lean on each other during difficult times. As social creatures, humans need that sense of community and you’ll find it at a quality facility.
The more you plan ahead, the easier it’s going to be to find a place your mother will thoroughly enjoy. Just don’t overlook the most important factor in all of this, which is that this is her choice. Some seniors come around to realizing and accepting that assisted living is a great option later than others, but when you’re patient and she sees that, it’ll make a world of difference in the end.
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