Provide Emotional Support to Help a Family Member Adjust to Assisted Living

Portrait of happy grandmother and adult granddaughter in garden

Helping with the logistical aspects of moving your family member to an Assisted Living community is a big task, but it’s also important to help them through the emotional aspects of moving. For many older adults, leaving the familiarity of home can stir up a mix of emotions. Acknowledging and validating these feelings can help your loved one find healthy ways to express how they’re feeling and move on without dwelling on the past.

Coming to terms with the reality that they need some extra help isn’t easy, but doing so can help them move forward with a more positive outlook. Even if your loved one is hesitant about moving to a new place, it’s important to make sure they have the support they need as they age.

We’ll cover the ways family members can help make the transition easier with advice for navigating the emotional journey before and after moving to Assisted Living.

Prepare for the Changes Ahead

Here are some ways to prepare for a successful move and provide emotional support for your loved one along the way:

Hold a family meeting. Bring family members together to share concerns and discuss potential solutions and next steps in the moving process. Finding ways to work together can relieve underlying tension and prepare everyone involved for the changes ahead.
Offer help with downsizing. It’s important to set realistic expectations for downsizing with your loved one. Trying to downsize an entire home over a weekend can be overwhelming and emotionally distressing. Allow extra time to look at family photo albums, share memories, and spend quality time together before they move.
Surround them with familiar things. Creating a familiar space that feels like home can help ease the transition to an Assisted Living community. When selecting items to move into their new apartment, bring family photos, cozy pillows, treasured knickknacks and furniture pieces that remind them of home.
Emphasize the positive aspects of moving. Encourage your loved one to embrace the perks of moving to a community where they’ll have convenient access to restaurant-style dining, a fitness center, social events, and so much more. With a maintenance-free lifestyle, there’s less to worry about and more time to enjoy what matters most to them.

Support Them After the Move

The first few months after someone moves into an Assisted Living community is a critical time for forming new routines and meeting new friends. Family members can help by continuing to provide emotional support in this new stage of life. Here are some ways to do that:

Visit often. Seeing familiar faces can help your loved one feel at home. Frequent visits from family and friends can lift their spirits, especially in the first few weeks and months.
Help them discover activities to try. There are so many ways to get involved with fun and fulfilling activities in a senior living community, but it can take some time to branch out and try new things. If your loved one needs some encouragement, you could help them find a class or activity that matches their interests, or attend a social event on campus together.
Take excursions off campus. Plan special outings together to some favorite places, whether it’s a local coffee shop, place of worship, quilt shop or car show.
Connect with friends and family. Make it easy for others to reach your loved one by sharing their new address and phone number. Even if the distance is too far for a visit, exchanging letters and phone calls is a wonderful way to stay connected across the miles.

We Can Help Ease the Transition to Assisted Living

At Parkwood, we’re here to help you navigate the challenges of moving a loved one into Assisted Living. You can rest assured your loved one will be in a caring and supportive environment where they’ll be inspired to make the next chapter in life the most fulfilling yet. We invite you to learn more about our all-inclusive Assisted Living community in Bedford, Texas.