If we live long enough, we all get to a stage in life when we need others’ assistance to get by. It’s like the saying goes: “once an adult, twice a child.” It’s never easy to give up your independence, and it’s even more difficult being honest with yourself when the time has come to decide between downsizing and going into assisted living.
It can be frightening when you have an older parent living alone in a large house. They may suffer from loneliness, and there’s the risk of them getting hurt and no one being around to help them. It can be hard to bring up the issue of downsizing or moving into assisted living, but it’s a conversation that we all have to have with our parents at some time or another. It’s like the birds and the bees talk for elders. You have to be direct, but you also have to handle the situation delicately. Continue reading to get some tips to help you decide whether it’s time for your elderly parent to go to an assisted living facility.
Downsizing is a great option for seniors who can still care for themselves.
Sometimes loneliness can be amplified when the space you’re living in is too large for your needs. If you have a parent living alone in a big house, then it may be time to start looking for the best rates for home loan packages on smaller homes. The good thing about seniors is that they tend to have more pristine credit histories compared to younger people, so it should be easier for them to find a home loan.
If your parent is moving into a smaller place, you have the hard task of helping them decide what to take into their new place with them. It may be hard for them to let go of sentimental things, and you need to understand that ahead of time to keep from getting frustrated. You can help them with the process of letting some of their sentimental things go by volunteering to keep and take care of them yourself. Once again, it’s important to handle the downsizing process sensitively.
If your parent has furniture that won’t fit in their new place, and you don’t have room for it either, then your best bet is to put it in storage. Solomon & Sons Relocation provides storage, as well as relocation, services in South Florida. This family-owned business has been one of the leading moving companies in the region for several years, and they know how to handle your storage and your move with care. Downsizing is stressful, but when you have a moving and storage company that prioritizes putting their customers at ease, your move is one thing you won’t have to stress about.
Look for signs that your parent isn’t doing well living alone.
If you have an elderly parent living alone who’s used to sharing their home with their spouse, then you have to be on the lookout for loneliness. It’s hard to go from living most of your life with a spouse and a house full of kids to living by yourself. When loneliness sets in, it can lead to depression and other mental health issues. If you notice that your parent lacks an appetite and doesn’t get proper rest or sleeps all day, those are some of the early warning signs of depression.
It’s also critical that you look out for their physical health. If your parent is having trouble with mobility, and it’s a struggle for them to make it to the grocery store or doctor’s appointments, then it’s time to consider other living arrangements.
It’s natural for older people to want to live in the home they’ve worked so hard for, but if it’s unsafe or unhealthy for them to live alone, then you should consider an assisted living facility. Assisted living facilities offer transportation for medical appointments and shopping. Many of them offer meal preparation, laundry, and garbage service, as well as exercise and other activities to keep them engaged, entertained, and moving.
Assisted living isn’t only for the elderly.
One common misconception about assisted living is that it’s only for older adults. If you have someone in your family struggling with behavioral or personality issues, they could benefit from community habilitation at a treatment facility.
Community habilitation centers teach disabled people how to function in society and communicate more effectively with others. They learn self-sufficiency, conflict resolution, and different coping techniques to help them to live productively and independently.
This is also a good time to talk to your parents about their end-of-life plan.
Getting your parent to accept downsizing or moving into an assisted living facility is hard, but that’s not the only difficult conversation you need to have with them. It’s time to get real about the fact that they aren’t going to live forever. Once you’ve accepted that for yourself, you should start talking to them about their end-of-life plans.
The best thing you can do to make sure that your parents’ wishes are respected when they leave here is to have them put their final wishes in a will. Writing a will not only preserve their wishes, but it also helps to prevent family conflict.
When you approach your parent about their will, approach the topic with the assumption that they’ve already written it because they probably have. Even so, it’s still something you should discuss with your parents and siblings while they’re still living.
You don’t want to find out after the fact that your parent wants to donate all of their cash assets to breast cancer or myocarditis research by surprise. It’s important to know your parents’ wishes ahead of time so you can execute them properly.
At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that it’s all about doing what’s best for your parents. Whether they decide to move into a smaller home or an assisted living facility, the most important thing is that they know you’re there for them and with them through this transition.
