It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re caring for an aging senior. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your spouse, a parent, a grandparent, a friend, or even a neighbor; you will feel overwhelmed at times and the stress will only grow as the months pass. If you never considered assisted living as an option before, it’s time you did. That’s because not only does assisted living provide one of the best resources for aging men and women, but it also helps families avoid the common pitfalls of caregiver stress.
When should you talk about assisted living with mom?
The simple answer is yesterday. The short answer is now.
But that’s not always the right answer. Sometimes, you have to wait. If you don’t know the first thing about assisted living, then how are you going to be able to convince someone else to consider it for their life and their future?
The first thing you should do is learn what you can about assisted living. But be careful about where you glean your information from. There are many resources online, but not all of them are reliable or accurate. You could end up learning about certain activities that some assisted living communities offer residents, and get your parent all excited about those things, only to discover after they move in that this one doesn’t offer them.
So, where do you look for information?
Find a local assisted living facility.
Go straight to the source. Instead of just researching online (which could give you a general idea about assisted living), look for local facilities you can turn to. Look at their website to give you an idea of activities that may offer residents, the types of rooms they could enjoy, the grounds, and if they have walking trails, gardens, a fitness center, and more.
Take a tour.
Once you learn more about assisted living, you could take a tour of a local facility. Depending on where it is and the management there, you may be directed to a virtual tour. This would be a walkthrough video you watch online. Several facilities turned to these during and after the pandemic as a way to protect their residents but also give the public a chance to see what it’s like for themselves or aging loved ones.
If your local community provides in-person tours, take advantage of that. Should you take your parents along with you? That could be a great idea. They may be resistant at first, though, so you may have to go by yourself.
However, always keep in mind that seniors have every right to decide how and where they want to live and you can’t force him or her to agree with your decisions. Going on a tour, though, is perhaps the best way to show them how wonderful life could be like there.
At the end of the day, you can’t continue taking care of your elderly mother this way. You need help, so it’s good to understand that some assisted living communities also offer respite care options. That means short-term stays, which could be a few days a week, overnights only, or for a couple of weeks at a time.
That could be just what you need to help feel better, less stressed, and more energized in your own life during this difficult time.
If you or an aging loved one is considering a move to an Assisted Living Facility for Services in Atlanta GA, please contact the caring staff at Woodland Ridge today. 770-431-7055
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