Our needs change as we age, and your loved one may need extra support. They may benefit from assisted living or memory care. While deciding to move into senior living can be difficult, the move can be tedious.
Moving your loved one into a senior living community can be complicated, so make sure you plan everything step by step. Plan the physical move, handle your loved one’s bills and utilities, help them settle in the community, and then handle any leftover furniture and additional items from their previous home.
Your loved one can settle in their new home with your help.
What Does Senior Living Offer?
Senior living is a lifestyle designed for older adults. These communities offer various services and amenities to support older adults’ physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Besides daily care, they provide regular social activities, transportation, and housekeeping services. Some services and amenities commonly available in senior living communities also include:
- Chef-prepared meals
- Medication management
- Onsite security
- Customized care plans
- 24-hour support staff
- Concierge services
Senior living provides a safe and supportive environment for older adults to live independently. Senior living communities can be an excellent decision for those wanting to maintain a high quality of life as they age.
Types of Senior Living
Various senior living options are available for older adults who require assistance or healthcare services.
Types of senior living include:
- Assisted living: Assisted living provides residents with the care they need to thrive. Your loved one can live independently, with 24-hour support available when needed.
- Memory care: Memory care is ideal for older adults with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or another form of cognitive decline. It provides daily support alongside healthy meals, engaging activities, and thoughtfully designed apartments.
- Respite care: Respite care is a temporary form of senior living (at least 2 weeks) in which your loved one enjoys community benefits without fully moving in. This senior living option is ideal for older adults recovering from injury or illness or when you need a break as your loved one’s primary caregiver.
Making the Senior Living Transition
Moving a parent into a senior living community requires thoughtful planning, organization, and compassion.
This checklist is designed to help ease the process and make sure that the transition is as smooth and comfortable as possible for your loved one.
Plan the Move
Start planning your loved one’s move by setting a concrete move-in date. Work with the senior living community to identify time-sensitive requirements, including paperwork and health evaluations.
Whether it’s your family or hired movers doing the heavy lifting, make sure you include your loved one in this process. They can’t bring everything to their new home, but they can help choose the essentials they want to keep.
Get Utilities & Other Fine Details Handled
Your loved one has likely lived in their current home for years, and transitioning them into senior living involves handling their utilities and other essentials.
Make a list of all the services and subscriptions your parent currently uses, including internet, cable, phone, and cleaning services. Notify these providers of the move and arrange for service to be discontinued at the old address and set up at the new one.
Make sure that all appropriate parties are aware of the change of address. This includes the post office, banks, insurance companies, doctors, and any government agencies.
Get Settled in the Community
Make sure that you and your loved one understand the community’s services. Get information on medical care, meals, laundry, housekeeping, transportation, and activities available. Know who to contact in case of emergencies and have a clear understanding of the community’s policies and procedures.
Spend time with your loved one, getting to know the new community. Meet staff members, attend orientation sessions, join activities, and encourage your parent to meet their neighbors. Feeling part of the community will make this transition easier.
Add personal touches to help your parent’s new living space feel like home. Familiar objects, pictures, and decorations can quickly make your loved one’s new apartment feel like home.
Take Care of What’s Left
After moving your loved one into their new home, there is likely plenty of leftover furniture and other belongings.
Helping your parent downsize can be an emotional process. Go through each room and categorize items into what will be taken, given away, sold, or stored. Remember to consider the size of the new living space.
Include your parent in the decision-making process, respecting their attachment to certain belongings, and take it one step at a time—you don’t need to do everything in one day.
Help Your Loved One Thrive
Senior living can benefit older adults, whether through assisted living, memory care, or respite care. Your loved one deserves to live in a place that can adapt to meet their changing needs. Schedule a tour of our community and see how we can support your loved one’s quality of life. Contact Bentley Assisted Living at Branchville if you’re interested in senior living for your loved one.
