Moving to Assisted Living: Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
As a senior, moving can be a burden and cause great anxiety. Moves for Seniors wants to help take away the stress of moving. Not only will we provide you with a specialty move coordinator and move your items, but we will help with the decision making!
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In today’s blog we want to present you with common senior move mistakes when “rightsizing” into a senior care facility and how to avoid them.
If you have been looking into assisted living, you know there isn’t time to waste in making the wrong decision. Make sure you get it right the first time by following these tips below.
The first common mistake is to choose a place based on the appeal. This means you like the fancy couches, the upgraded kitchen and the gorgeous landscaping outside. Sure, this may all look great and make you feel welcome, but be sure to consider the care and the atmosphere of the facility.
The best way to avoid this is to ask about staying overnight at the facility. This is an excellent way to get a true feel for where you will be spending the next couple of years of your life (or your parents’ life). Spending at least 24 hours will allow you to get to know the staff, your neighbors, the food, etc. This will help you make a more informed decision.
Tip – Ask about employee retainment.
Check out www.eldercare.gov for any documented issues and problems that the community has come across.
Another common mistake is to choose a community that you (the adult child) would enjoy, rather than your parent. Remember it is a place that your parent will be living their life, so keep their needs first.
Steer away from putting too much emphasis on proximity. Yes, you want somewhere your family members can visit easily, but be realistic in how often they will visit. You may want them to come every day or once a week but in the end it might not be that often, so choose a place based on your needs, rather than how far family members will need to travel.
Choose a community for the needs of yourself (or your parent) based on today’s interests and not those of yesterday. You may have spent many years, even decades playing golf but now it isn’t possible, so don’t choose a community that has a golf course that you cannot use. Or if you enjoyed the water but now you cannot go in the pool –it may be difficult near a pool when you aren’t able to enjoy it. It may be better to choose a place that has knitting or other groups that you can take part in.
And lastly don’t make the decision alone. As a senior who is moving, you know that there is a lot to think about and figure out – it may be too much for you to handle – so ask us for help. You can also ask your children, friends, and other family members to help as well. Start with our senior moving checklist or give us a call (800) 227-0515.