Talking To Your Parents About Assisted Living

No one wants to think about their parents getting older, about entering into the next phase of their life where they’re a little more fragile than they might have been once upon a time. But it happens to the best of us. Eventually, everyone has to admit that while they’ve been growing up, their parents have been growing old. And in the process of growing old, some people find they are unable to live on their own anymore. No one wants to admit it, but sometimes you look at your parents, and see their decline in health, inability to function completely on their own, and have to wonder about what their future is going to look like. If they don’t have any serious medical issues that will require round-the-clock care or specially trained medical staff, it might get to the point where your parents will be better off in an assisted living facility. This can be a touchy subject, though, so it’s important to know how to talk to your parents about the assisted living possibility in the future.

Know The Difference

Assisted living is not the same as being put into a nursing home. It might be helpful to make the difference known to your parents if you think they’ll refuse to have a conversation based on the assumption that they’re the same. People enjoy their independence and some will think that being in assisted living means they will lose that. But the truth is, assisted living is for people who need some help with a few tasks—such as daily housework—but are otherwise able to maintain their independence. Nursing homes are for those who are unable to be independent anymore and require more intensive care. If you think your parents will fight the idea because they want to retain their independence, let them know that they will still keep it, they’ll just have someone to clean up after them and help them with their medication, so they can focus more on things they enjoy doing.

Start Bringing It Up Early

It might not be a subject many want to discuss at all, but it’s one of those things you need to bring up early and on more than one occasion, so your parents don’t feel blindsided when it becomes more obvious they need to move into one. It’s better to ease into the conversation over time so everyone involved is prepared when the time comes, and no one feels attacked or like it’s coming out of nowhere.

Do Your Research

In addition to needing to start the conversation early, you should also do your research early as well. Look into different facilities in the area, find out prices and what services and activities are offered. Look into reviews, talk to people you might know or who others know who lived there and find out what they think of it. It’s much better to look into places early on so you and your parents have time to weigh your options and come to a decision based on facts rather than have to rush to find something at the last minute. It might be hard to take your parents on tours of facilities, but at least they’ll be better informed about where they could be living someday.

Communicate

It’s important to communicate with your parents every step of the way, to let them have the final say over the decisions that will need to be made rather than you making all the decisions for them. If they have a say in the decisions, if you talk to them about what’s happening and what needs to happen, they’ll be more likely to go along with whatever needs to be done. If they feel left out of the decision-making process, they’ll be more likely to resist and drag their feet, making the situation even more difficult than it already is. You need to talk to them about what facilities are perhaps out of budget or what they realistically need in a new home environment. And they need to talk to you about what they want and what they need out of it. The process will be so much easier if you work together with your parents on this decision rather than against them.

Contact Us Today

If you’re researching potential assisted living facilities for your parents in the area, or it’s simply time for them to move into one and you’re considering us, we urge you to contact us today. We can’t wait to welcome your parents home and help them move into the next phase of their lives.