Four Compelling Reasons to Move Now
When it comes to helping a loved one make the move to an assisted living community, it’s not uncommon to put the move o? until it’s absolutely necessary. Often, this conclusion is preceded by your loved one insisting that they are ?ne on their own because they don’t want to leave their home.
The idea of moving to a new location and changing one’s lifestyle can be daunting and convincing your parent otherwise can be a trying task. Often a decision is postponed as a result. However, many residents and their families at assisted living communities later wish they had made the move sooner for several reasons.
There are four key downsides to delaying the transition into an assisted living community:
Increased likelihood of falls and other accidents while living at home.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every eleven seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, and every nineteen minutes, one dies from an accident like this.
Falls are one of the biggest threats to seniors’ safety, and once one occurs, quality of life can rapidly decline. When tasks like bathing or maintaining the house become di?cult, the likelihood of a fall increases.
Waiting until after a fall happens to make the move isn’t ideal. Instead, think of moving to assisted living as a preventative step to ensure your loved one’s safety.
Increased di?culty for family members who try to provide at-home care.
Families may hire in-home care or attempt it themselves, but many ?nd the investment in time and energy overwhelming. They may also realize it reduces quality time spent with their aging parent.
Professional caregivers o?er compassionate care with tasks like feeding and dressing, allowing adult children to enjoy more meaningful moments with loved ones.
Seniors have a higher likelihood of experiencing loneliness.
Social isolation is a real threat to seniors’ well-being. Both social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of long-term illness and mortality in older adults. Even if family visits regularly, it may not be enough.
Assisted living communities provide healthy social interaction and activities, which are best taken advantage of while residents are in good mental and physical health.
Moving when a resident is less mobile is more di?cult.
Making the transition earlier allows for a smoother adjustment and more participation in community activities. If your parent moves but can’t enjoy classes or games, they may regret not moving sooner.
While discussing this change can be di?cult, once settled, many ?nd it’s the best decision for the family.