Help Your Loved One Transition to a Senior Living Community with These Expert Tips

 

Help Your Loved One Transition to a Senior Living Community with These Expert Tips

 

Have you reached the point in your caregiving journey where you honestly feel like you can no longer provide the proper care for your loved one? If so, you are now in a position where it is most responsible to work with your family member to help him or her transition to a senior living community. While this realization can cause mixed emotions, it is ultimately what is best—not just for you but for your parents, grandparents, or relatives.

 

If you are ready to begin helping your loved one move from their current home to a top-quality senior living community, use the following tips.

 

Have open and sensitive conversations about the benefits of moving

 

This entire process should begin with an open, compassionate, and sensitive discussion with your family member. While this shift in your loved one’s needs may be causing you to feel a number of emotions, this reaction will likely be more pronounced for this individual. For many seniors, moving out of their home—which they may have lived in for decades—is a concrete event that marks the loss of independence. Experiencing a loss of full independence can be a heartbreaking time. Additionally, having to say “goodbye” to the home in which they’ve made hundreds of wonderful memories is also an emotional thing to do.

 

When first mentioning the need to move into an assisted living community, keep all of these factors in mind. Your loved one may react poorly, but it is important not to take their comments personally. You will likely have to have multiple conversations with this individual—all of which should be filled with love, care, and understanding.

 

If you have not yet done so, this is also an appropriate time to begin discussions about end-of-life care. If you and your loved one plan on you acting as the decision maker should the circumstances arise, there are several necessary forms needed to ensure you’ll be able to. Having these documents ready will give you and your loved one peace of mind.

 

Be involved in the selection of their senior living community

 

Once your family member is on board with the idea of moving, it is important to be involved with the selection of their senior living community. Rather than choosing one for them without any input, make the process one that is enjoyable, and that ultimately puts the decision in the hands of your loved one.

 

Schedule tours of prospective senior living homes for you and your loved one to take together. This will allow you to see living spaces up close, talk with staff, and get an overall feel for the place. Doing this will be far more comforting for you and your loved one, and will help them feel in control of their future.

 

Work with a realtor to sell your loved one’s home

 

After your family member selects their new assisted living residence, it is time to begin the process of selling their current home. Because so much is involved with selling a home, as well as moving to a long-term care facility, it is worthwhile to get expert help from a realtor.

 

Hiring a realtor like The Rural KC Team will free up hours upon hours of your time, which will allow you to dedicate more time to your needs and the needs of your loved one. It will also give you peace of mind in knowing that the house will sell for the highest possible price.

 

You might also want to consider relocating closer to your loved one to better assist them with the process. Whether your move is permanent or temporary, there are plenty of affordable rentals available to suit your needs. You can even search for accessible options, as well as things like pet-friendliness, number of bathrooms, and so forth. The key is to sort and prioritize criteria before settling on the best choice.

 

Pay for care with the proceeds from the sale of their home

 

If your loved one does not currently have the financial means to pay for their care, they can often pay for all of their living expenses from the proceeds of their home sale. You can expedite the home selling process by offering COVID-safe options for touring your loved one’s home—including video-chat tours, innovative 3D walkthroughs, and virtual open houses.

 

As your caregiving comes to an end, be sure that you are addressing your needs throughout each stage of this transition. When you are functioning at your peak, you can be an even better caregiver for your family member.

 

This article is brought to you by The Rural KC Team. For more information, please visit our website today!