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Talking to Your Parents About Assisted Living

One of the hardest conversations you may have with your senior loved ones is discussing their future long-term care.

One of the hardest conversations you may have with your senior loved ones is discussing their future long-term care. Though it is a very necessary conversation to have with your loved one, actually bringing up the topic of moving to assisted living for help with daily tasks can be daunting at best. You may worry that your loved one will get defensive or feel like you are trying to take away their freedom of being an independent adult. This fear of broaching a sensitive topic may make you put off the conversation until the situation becomes dire and you are forced to act without proper planning.

It’s important to have the difficult conversation sooner rather than later in order to leave enough time for coming up with a workable plan that is both in your loved one’s best interests and takes into account their wishes and their needs. Solterra Senior Living offers some ways to approach your senior loved ones about assisted living in Arizona before you are left making the decisions for them.

Talk With Your Siblings Before Talking With Parents

When you are ready to broach the topic of assisted living with your parents, be sure to have all your research and planning done prior to the discussion so that you are fully prepared to help your loved ones through the planning process. To ensure there are no surprises, talk with your siblings first, before bringing up the topic with your parents.

If you and your siblings have differing ideas of what your parents’ future should look like, spending some time getting on the same page before talking with your parents can really help remove some of the stress your parents may have to deal with during the planning talk.

Have a Few Options Available

It’s a good idea to have some options available to present to your senior loved ones to help aid them in deciding how they want to handle their future as they age. Consider touring a few different locations before having the conversation and provide your loved ones with brochures or websites to visit.

You can offer to tour the communities they prefer with them to help facilitate the decision-making process so they don’t feel alone. If you are considering assisted living in Arizona, Solterra Senior Living offers residents many levels of care, from independent living to assisted living and memory care options.

Be Empathetic and Listen

The only way to ensure your loved one’s wishes are being met is to listen to what is important to them when planning the next steps for their future. Getting older does not remove our wants and needs as human beings, nor does it remove the need of feeling in control of our own lives. By hearing your loved one’s concerns and wishes, you can help facilitate their finding an assisted living community where they will feel comfortable and at home.

Your senior loved ones may already be receptive to the idea of assisted living, but they may have some concerns that are holding them back from making the final move. By listening and opening the lines of communication, you will be able to address any lingering concerns they may have, which may be all that is needed to make the next move.

If you are looking for assisted living in Arizona and would like to schedule a tour of Solterra Senior Living communities, contact us today.