Helping The Elderly Adjust To Community Living

As our loved ones age it’s only natural to want to provide a safer, more reliable living environment. Especially if family and friends are not close in proximity to their loved ones, providing a safe, retirement style community may be the right choice. The ability to ensure safe living with caregivers around them at all times crates a sense of relief for many family members as their loved ones age.

Although retirement communities offer many safety aspects in the facility, providing a medical alert device is just as important as moving them into the facility itself. Even thought they may provide onsite services, having a medical alarm will provide that extra level of protection when no one is around!

The main benefit other than the safety aspect of having constant caregivers around your loved one is the social interaction that comes with moving into a retirement community.  Social events like games, baking classes, pottery and more can create an environment in which your loved ones can thrive and be happy. It helps to create relationships and companionship when family cannot be around.

Taking the steps to getting your family member adjusted to a new living environment can be difficult but there are actions that can make the process easier.

• Reviewing the rules and regulations of the new living facility is crucial to making sure it fits into the lifestyle of your loved one.
• Hang family pictures on the wall to make it feel more like home.
• Put a private phone line in their room so that you can contact them directly and make an effort to do so on a weekly basis.
• Purchase a medical alert device so that they feel comfortable being alone in a new living environment.

Beyond getting them adjusted to a new living environment, encouragement and constant love will help get them over the initial hump of moving. As with most people, change is tough and could result in initial depression or sadness. Remembering to support your loved ones during these changes will make an immediate difference and moving forward in the future when more changes may need to occur.