The move from a prior home into a senior living community of any kind won’t always be easy, both in terms of the actual details themselves and planning the ideal time. Sometimes there’s no “right time” for someone to move out of a home they’ve loved for a long time, and caregivers and family members simply have to do their best to make the best of what can be a difficult situation.
The staff with Avamere at Mountain Ridge, however, is here to help. We know the transition to our Ogden assisted living community isn’t easy for some of our guests, and we offer assistance with numerous parts of this process — including helping families plan out the ideal timing for moving a senior loved one into our community. Whether you’re a senior looking into care options, a caregiver assisting them or anyone else in the family, this two-part blog series will go over some of the general themes and tips we can offer on timing the move appropriately.
Try to Imagine Life in the Future
While this isn’t always easy necessarily, one of the first things seniors and caregivers should be doing here is attempting to project life forward. Sometimes it can be all too easy to get caught up in short-term thinking and the here and now, but for seniors living independently or with caregivers, this can lead to difficult decisions down the road.
Caregivers and family members should take time out of their day to try and think about what life will be like for both the senior loved one and the family a year, two years or maybe even five years into the future. If it’s too difficult to think about this alone, consider meeting with a professional elder law attorney who may be able help you map out some options for how potential care might look.
Tasks and Physical Capabilities
While this can be one of the tougher areas to discuss in some cases, and we understand this, it’s vital to consider the senior’s physical capabilities and expected ability to perform tasks when considering the move. Seniors and their families should discuss what the priorities are when it comes to being able to perform certain tasks independently, with an eye toward ensuring a smooth transition from home into assisted living. This can include taking care of all household chores, ability to drive or perhaps even take care of personal grooming in some cases.
Medical Acceptance Criteria
If the senior in question has any significant health concerns currently at play, these are also important for multiple reasons. Some assisted living communities will have medical acceptance criteria, meaning if you wait until a medical crisis has taken place, you might not be accepted — in these cases, doing your homework ahead of time and being willing to move before a major issue takes place are important themes.
In part two of our series, we’ll go over some misconceptions on nursing homes and senior living communities, plus a few other tips on timing for a senior living move. To learn more about this or any of our Ogden assisted living community services, speak to the staff with Avamere at Mountain Ridge today.
