(443) 745-6115As you and your loved ones age, difficult care decisions have to be made. If your loved one’s health and safety would benefit from an assisted living facility, making that transition can be a difficult one. The first step, of course, is having a dialogue about it. Here’s a guide to discussing elderly care that covers some things to consider when beginning the conversation about elderly care and assisted living facilities.
Do Your Research
The most important thing you can do to prepare for a conversation about elderly care and assisted living, is to do your homework. If you’ve got a facility in mind before going into the conversation with your loved one, spend some time researching it to ensure it’s a good fit. Having physical information and photographs can also be helpful, or have the facility pulled up on your computer in preparation for the conversation, so your loved one can see the place you are talking about. Researching different assisted living facilities in Maryland and having a good understanding of the pros and cons of each place is essential. You need to feel confident in your research going into the conversation. Your assurance is important to your loved one.
Don’t Just Talk, Listen
If you’ve done your research and are ready to have this difficult conversation, it’s important that you not only talk, but that you also listen. Listen to your loved one’s concerns, answer their questions. If you don’t know the answer, suggest the two of you find out the answer together. Ensuring your loved ones voice is heard is essential.
Be Compassionate and Understanding
If your loved one does not respond to the conversation as you’d hoped, be patient, compassionate, and understanding. Being empathetic to your loved one’s feelings is important, and can ultimately make the transition easier when the time to move them does come. Moving into an assisted living facility is a big life change, and can be very stressful, so it is of utmost importance that they feel they are being heard, and that their feelings are being valued.
If your loved one would benefit greatly from an assisted living facility in Maryland, Kenwood Care is here for them, and here for you. If you are preparing to have this conversation, we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have, in hopes that it would make the conversation easier for both parties, and the transition into an assisted living facility in Maryland easier.
