Waiting Longer Might Not be Better
For most of us, the decision to transition to an assisted living environment or to help our older relatives make that transition is a difficult and emotional one. We often put it off for years, believing that the longer we can prolong living at home, the better it is for the senior in question. The idea that staying at home as long as possible is the best decision for a senior is one that is based in some old-fashioned ideas about assisted living and may be based on misconceptions about the assisted living process. At Chelsea Senior Living, we know that the goal of an assisted living facility is to help seniors continue to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. We also know that seniors may actually find more independence in an assisted living environment than they would living in their home or with a relative.
Making the transition to assisted living earlier gives a senior a greater opportunity for ownership in the process.
Sometimes, the decision to move to assisted living is prompted by a semi-emergency situation at home. An accident or close call makes a senior or family members realize that the senior is no longer able to meet all of the challenges of daily living and needs to transition to assisted living. It becomes an emergency to move the senior into an assisted living. This can deprive a senior of the opportunity to compare different locations as well as keep him or her out of the process of closing up a home. If assisted living seems like a possibility for the future, it is a good idea to begin looking at different locations to see which one is the best fit for your personality. At Chelsea Senior Living, our various locations all have their own personality and offer something different for the residents. Our innovative respite program allows potential residents the opportunity to do more than tour our facilities; they can arrange for short-term stays with access to all of the amenities available to long-term residents to determine if a location is the right fit for them.
Planning ahead for a transition to assisted living can make the process easier on the whole family.
Another benefit of planning to transition to an assisted living facility is that the senior can play an active role in the move. Decisions like what to do with the house and its contents are emotional ones and not including a loved one in those decisions can be very alienating. The greater a senior’s ownership in the process, the more likely the senior is to be happy with the transition to an assisted living facility.
Contact Chelsea Senior Living for a tour or to schedule a respite stay at one of facilities.
