Hi there, my name is Patrice. Welcome to my site. I am excited to share my knowledge about assisted living communities with you all today. When my mother reached her elder years, I was unable to provide her with the level of care she needed each day. I wanted her to receive the best of care without feeling like we abandoned her. I set her up in an assisted living community and visited on a regular basis. I want to use this site to talk about all of the benefits of utilizing assisted living facilities for your parents and other loved ones.
Now that your mother has decided to move into a senior living home, it's a good idea to take some steps that will support her as she settles in and gets used to her new life. Here are a few things you can do to help her acclimate to her new community and feel good about the decision she's made:
Schedule Some Visits Beforehand
An excellent way to make sure that your mother feels comfortable with moving into a senior living facility is to schedule a couple of visits together before she is scheduled to officially move in. This will give her an opportunity to get used to the new surroundings, meet her new neighbors, make some new friends, and get to know the staff that will be caring for her on a daily basis.
Schedule a visit during lunch time so that you can eat in the dining room together with other residents. Schedule another visit when the facilitator will have time to meet with you so all of your mom's questions and concerns can be personally addressed. It's also a good idea to schedule a tour of all the facilities, including your mother's new quarters, so there aren't any surprises when she moves in.
Hang a Calendar on the Wall
Give your mom something exciting to look forward to after she moves in by hanging a calendar on the wall that shows when her family members will be coming to visit. Fill the calendar out once a week or once a month so she knows when to expect specific visitors and can plan accordingly. She'll appreciate the opportunity to look forward to planned visits, especially on days when she's feeling a bit lonely or out of touch with her loved ones.
Make Her a Quilt
To make your mom feel closer to her friends and family after moving into her new senior living home, consider making her a quilt that's created from materials that will remind her of everyone she loves. Ask everyone in her life to contribute to the quilt by providing you with a piece of their clothing that you can use to patch together. In addition to patching loved one's memorable pieces of clothing together, have photos of the family printed on pieces of material and use them as accents within the quilt. Your mother can put it on her bed or over a chair and think of everyone on a daily basis.
These tips and tricks should help make your mom feel like home at the senior living community, keep her close to her family, and give her some enjoyment that will support her throughout the adjustment period.
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