How To Prepare A Loved One For Aged Care

Sometimes, when you parents or loved ones reach a certain age, you will probably have to talk to them about putting them into aged care. Aged care or assisted living community facilities are better suited to provide hospice care that you may not be able to provide on your own, especially if paired with a family health care plan. Having this talk is always going to be emotional for everyone involved, as it is a difficult decision to make. However, because it is something that needs to be done, it is worth trying to make things as easy as possible for your loved one if you are able to do so. 

Talk about the move

When you are approaching the decision to get your relative into aged care, the most difficult step is convincing them that this is the right decision for everyone involved. Most people think that being in an aged Home Care is a bad thing, but it can often be a welcomed change for most who are accepting of it. Your relatives might fear that they are being abandoned by you and your family when they are feeling vulnerable, so you will need to reassure them that this is not the case, by letting them know that you will still be active in their lives. Involve them as much as possible in the decision making and let them feel like they have control through the entire process. Most importantly, let them know that everything will be ok, and that they will receive better care from trained professionals while being able to interact with their peers, once they are placed in aged care. However, you can always consider an in home senior care as an option if you don’t want them to be placed in an aged care facility. An at home elderly care service will come to your home and help your elderly loved one with whatever they need to thrive in the community.

You can click to view listing of the best aged care facilities for your parents or loved ones who need special care.

Tour the facility

It is natural for seniors to fear the unknown, so they may be reluctant to be placed into aged care without getting to know their surroundings. Luckily, most assisted living facilities will allow you and your relatives to tour the facility and inspect its amenities before committing. These tours are designed to put your loved one at ease by allowing them to get a sense of the place and the people that live there. Most aged care facilities like Kew Gardens Aged Care will allow potential residents to take a tour of the premises before they choose to live there, so it is not uncommon for these sorts of tours to take place on a daily basis. Scheduling a tour can also make the process appear more ‘honest’. This is because it might be easier for your loved one to understand that you are trying to help them by letting them have a say where they are going to live. Most people tend to show more enthusiasm for the move once they see the level of care they will receive. Visit sites likes https://www.summerfieldstockton.com/community-life/ to get an idea.

Be financially prepared

Aged care facilities such as those with dementia care, have really stepped up their game in terms of providing quality and holistic care, tailored to their client needs. Which is great news for those receiving the care, but it often comes at a cost. Make sure that you and your loved one have a discussion regarding the memory care facilities that are within your financial reach, before anything is made official. Discuss all aspects regarding cost, and how they are going to be met before making the move. If your loved ones are expected to meet part of the cost, make this clear beforehand, so that there are no surprises later on. Ensuring everyone involved in this process is aware of how much they will need to pay financially can help you avoid unnecessary conflict in the future.

Clean before your move

This is an important, but often overlooked step that needs to be taken before making the move to aged care. It helps to reduce that your loved one will have to move with them to their care facility when it comes time to leave their old home. It also helps to make an inventory of their treasured possessions and heirlooms, so that everything is accounted for after the move. Extra storage can be organized for prized possessions that will not be making the move to the aged care facility, so make sure that your loved one understands what they can take with them and what should be put away into storage. Doing the final ‘deep clean’ is also vital for one to come to terms with the impending move, and to have some closure before leaving their home for good.

If you want your loved one to transition into senior housing as smoothly as possible, you should try to do everything that you can to reassure them that this is the right decision. A facility that offers exceptional memory care services may be the perfect choice for your relatives suffering from dementia. It can be hard for many people to acknowledge that living in a low income housing for senior citizens may be the right thing for them, so you will need to be patient during this tough time. Through all these steps, ensure that they are not deprived of their agency, decision making and dignity. Getting started with this process as soon as possible is always a good idea, so make sure to talk to your ageing loved ones before it comes time to move them into an aged care home.