It’s no secret that moving to a new home can be challenging. That’s the case for people of all ages and in all situations. From learning their way around a new city to making new friends and beyond, the transition can certainly be a struggle. Of course, the more accustomed a person is to his or her old home, the more difficult getting used to a new one is bound to be. At the same time, the more changes await a person in a new home, the more complicated adjusting can be.
With that being the case, many elderly people find transitioning to an assisted living community to be particularly disconcerting. After all, doing so often entails not only moving to a new living space with unfamiliar surroundings but also adjusting to an entirely new lifestyle separate from relatives and long-time friends. Family support can help shape a person’s best choice for this type of change while also making the transition much less difficult. Consider some of the ways having family involved can ensure people get independent living arrangements that are perfect for them and help make the move easier.
Having Multiple Points of View
One of the ways family support can help people find the right assisted living community is by providing multiple points of view. No doubt, the people who are actually making these transitions have several ideas about the type of community and lifestyle they’re looking for. Making a decision of this magnitude on their own can lead to tunnel vision, though. The more family members there are involved in the decision-making process, the more viewpoints there are to draw from. It has long been said that two heads are better than one. Support from several family members can ensure that no detail is overlooked and ultimately make for a happier, more comfortable life after the move.
Reducing Stress
Another way family support can make moving to assisted living easier is by making the experience less stressful. Moving to a new place where nothing and no one is familiar can create a great deal of mental, physical, and emotional stress.
Bringing furniture, sentimental items, and other belongings to the new home may make matters a bit easier. Being able to bring a beloved pet is certainly beneficial as well. Still, none of those are replacements for being close to loved ones. Relationships with loved ones provide numerous advantages, not the least of which is reducing the risk of developing depression and making strange places feel more comfortable.
Preventing Cognitive Decline
Family support can also help to prevent cognitive decline or potentially slow its progression. It helps to keep a person’s mind active. Being isolated, or simply feeling isolated, can have the opposite impact. It increases the risk of memory loss, dementia, and other cognitive issues that tend to develop with age. When loved ones are integral parts of a person’s life, they can help that person stay sharp and focused and give them something to look forward to whether they’re routinely meeting in person or through phone calls and video chats. From another perspective, family support can help an elderly loved one choose an assisted living community that offers plenty of activities and social events to help keep cognitive decline at bay.
Helping Loved Ones Make the Most of Assisted Living
Deciding to move to an assisted living community can be difficult in its own right. Adjusting to life after following through with that decision is even more trying.
Having the support of loved ones makes it easier. It can help people choose the right assisted living community from the start. From there, it reduces the stress of acclimating to a new life and helps to prevent cognitive decline among other advantages.