Are you parents getting up there in years? If you think they might need help going about their day, here’s how to get them to join elderly assisted living.
Your parents are the most important people in the world to you. They’ve cared for you since you were born, picked you up when you fell down, encouraged you when you were feeling blue, and celebrated life’s best moments with you.
But as they get older, you’re concerned about their health and safety.
Maybe there have been a few close calls in the past. Or, perhaps you’re just thinking ahead to a future, when your parents may not be able to care for themselves as they do now.
No matter the reason, you want to speak to your parents about elderly assisted living.
But what’s the best way to broach the topic? Keep on reading this post to find out.
1. Wait for the Right Moment
Putting a parent in assisted living isn’t easy. Often, elders take this to mean you feel they can no longer take care of themselves.
They might think you feel like they’re a burden — which can lead to feelings of guilt and depression on their end.
When you’re learning how to talk to elderly parents about assisted living, it’s absolutely crucial that you wait until the right moment to bring it up. One of the best times is after the elder has had a tough time at home.
Perhaps they fell, forgot to go to an appointment, or had a moment of confusion in the home. After addressing the situation at hand, wait a few days until they’re feeling better.
Then, say something like, “That really scared me, and I know it probably scared you, too. I love you and I want to make sure you get the help you need as soon as possible. Would you be open to the idea of touring a few assisted living communities, just so we can both keep our options open for the future?”
Here, you’re also asking, not telling, the elder about how they feel regarding care options as they continue to age. You’re allowing them to have a say in the matter.
This goes a long way towards helping you to get the outcome you want. (After all, remember how much you hated when your parents told you what to do in your teenage years!)
2. Focus on the Positives
One of the best ways to convince someone you love to consider elderly assisted living?
Focus on the positives.
Remind the elder that the average homeowner spends about ten hours every single week doing chores.
Ask them how they’d like to spend that ten hours instead, as someone else could do annoying tasks for them in an assisted living facility. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to worry about getting groceries, doing dishes, making the bed, or hauling laundry around?
Speak to the elder in your life about some of their friends — or the parents of your friends — who have opted to enter a nursing home.
Remind them that they might actually have a more active social life than they do now, and that they can meet new friends with ease and try out lots of different activities.
Make the move seem like an adventure — not a countdown to the end of their life.
3. Tour Several Different Facilities
When you’re trying to learn how to convince a parent to go to assisted living, you need to give them plenty of options to choose from.
First of all, this allows you to evaluate the level of care and activity at multiple facilities, so you can feel confident in your decision. But it also gives a feeling of choice to the elder themselves.
They can choose the place they like best, based on what interests them the most. This can help to maintain a feeling of autonomy.
This website, for example, shows you the features you should look for in an excellent assisted living community.
Showing the elder engaging, lively, and well-designed facilities with lots of outdoor space may make them much more enthusiastic about moving to one.
Taking them to visit a run-down, overlit, and isolated facility far away from the city center, however, will not exactly make them excited for a potential move.
4. Look Into Other Options
If you’re still struggling with how to get parents into assisted living successfully, remember that a nursing home isn’t your only option when it comes to elder care.
Many elders refuse to go into a live-in care facility because they’re worried about losing their independence. Studies show that this loss of independence is more troubling to elders even than the thought of dying.
You need to meet the elder halfway.
If a nursing home isn’t an option, talk to them about the idea of having an aide come visit them a few times a week at home. This aide will help them by bringing groceries, taking them out on walks, and ensuring that they’re taking their medication.
Encourage them to go to a few activities at care facilities in the area a couple of times each month. You could even download a few apps designed to help with medication reminders and remote monitoring.
You’re Ready to Talk to Your Parents About Elderly Assisted Living
Talking to your parents about elderly assisted living is never easy. However, now you have the tools you need to bring up the topic in the right way.
Looking for more tips and tricks on how to keep an elder active both mentally and physically? We’ve got you covered. Check out this article.
Keep checking back with us for more eldercare advice — and even score some great tips on how to take time to care for yourself, too.
