Transitioning to memory care in Ellijay, GA is a big decision for you and your parents. You will consider the life you have lived together and the future ahead of your loved ones that are full of unknowns. It can be challenging emotionally, economically, and physically.
This guide will offer tips to help the transition become easy:
Create a Homey Feeling in the New Space
Your loved one is leaving a place they have lived their whole life and moving to a community that becomes a new home for them. You should incorporate a homey feeling into the new space by bringing their personal items along.
Seeing familiar decorations and items around will ease them of any anxiety associated with moving to a new community.
You don’t have to move all their belongings as this will help avoid cluttering. Pack the basic and important things so they won’t miss their former space.
Ask Team Members Questions
Getting to know the team members in memory care communities is essential in transition. However, the members will also be interested in learning more about their new residents. You can use this as an advantage to connect with them and ask questions.
They have had experiences with residents moving in so they are in the best position to explain how your loved ones can easily settle down. Asides from these, you will have an understanding of the relationship existing between residents and team members in the center.
You don’t want to commit your loved ones to a community that does not communicate well with residents.
Keep Most of the Moving Details to Yourself
While you might be tempted to fully involve your loved ones in the moving process. It might be advisable to keep most of the details to yourself. You wouldn’t want to involve them as they may have some difficulties with the details as a result of their difficulties with memory. Spend some time observing what is essential to them and what they would love to see around them.
Regular Visitation
The most painful part of transitioning into a memory care community is leaving the people you love to move to a new community.
Your loved ones will be more concerned about spending less time with friends and other members of the family. However, you can help them with this by scheduling a frequent visits to go the center.
Furthermore, reassure them that they will be seeing you and other people they love often. Once they are assured of constant visitation from you they will sit easily into the community.
Stay Connected
It is always a good thing to see people you love around you. Older adults don’t like the idea of moving to a memory care center because of isolation.
As mentioned above, visit often and let them know how much you love them and how often you will be visiting them. Ensure you stick to your schedule of visiting them regularly.
If you have a busy schedule, you can always meet up leveraging different social media platforms. You can connect with them virtually through Skype, Zoom, and WhatsApp.
