At Prairie View Assisted Living, we understand that moving yourself or a loved one to Assisted Living or Short-Term care is not an easy decision. It’s a one that brings with it a great deal of uncertainty and in some cases, emotions of anger or nervousness. Any apprehension on behalf of yourself or your loved ones is completely understandable because it’s a big life change.
Because it’s such a big change, it is our goal to help each resident — and their loved ones or caretakers — feel completely comfortable with their decision to move to our community. That’s why we came up with a few tips that you can use to ease the transition to Assisted Living or Short-Term care.
Tip #1 – Tour the Community Together
Before selecting a community, be sure to include your loved one in the search process. The more involved they feel, the easier the move will be because there won’t be any surprises. Taking a tour is a great opportunity for you and your loved one to get a feel for the community and ask questions. The most important things that you can look for during a tour include:
- Quality of Life: When you tour a community, the current residents are often your best resource. Are they happy and fulfilled? Does the community offer daily activities? Is the community clean?
- Care Requirements: If your loved one needs specific care, make sure to ask the staff if that is provided or not. You should also make sure the community is adequately designed with safety features that allow residents to remain safe.
- Dining: Try to visit during a meal and be sure to ask about menu variation. If your loved one has dietary restrictions, be sure to inquire as to whether or not that can be accommodated.
- Staff Interaction: You can get a really good feel for a community by simply chatting with staff and observing how they interact with residents.
Tip #2 – Create a “Home-Like” Atmosphere
Once you’ve decided on a community, the next step is to move-in. While you don’t want to clutter their new home, try to gather some mementos from their old home that add personality and cheer to their apartment. This will help make it feel more like a home instead of an apartment.
This can be as simple as bringing along framed pictures of family/friends or including furniture from their old home. Small things like this can make a huge difference in making seniors feel comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.
Tip #3 – Visit Regularly & Speak Often
Believe it or not, what you and family do after a loved one has been moved into assisted living matters a great deal. Without regular contact, it’s difficult to know how your loved one is adapting and transitioning to this new lifestyle. That’s why it’s important to visit regularly and when you can’t visit, try to speak with them at least once a day. Doing so can help ease anxieties and reduce stress.
Tip #4 – Get Involved
Do your best to encourage your loved one to get involved in activities and events around the community. Socialization is a huge part of what makes Assisted Living and Short-Term Care so wonderful. Residents are encouraged to interact with one another as often as possible, and at Prairie View, we have a number of activities that they can participate in.
Transitioning to Prairie View
At the end of the day, everyone’s reaction to the idea of moving to an Assisted Living and Short-Term Care Community will be a little different. Our experienced team at Prairie View is here to help your loved one make a seamless transition to our Assisted Living or Short-Term Care community, regardless as to the reaction.
If you would like to learn more about our Prairie View Assisted Living in Winnebago, IL, call (815) 335-1800 to speak with a member of our team! You can also click here to request more information online.
