Topic: transition
The decision to move someone in your care to memory care or an adult family home can be difficult. However, it’s often the best choice when daily caregiving responsibilities begin to impact the safety and health of either the person living with dementia and/or their primary caregiver, be it a spouse, partner, or adult child. …
Change is the only constant. And as we enter our later years, it seems the changes are more frequent. Before writing Life Is in the Transitions, Bruce Feiler interviewed 225 individuals to gain a sense of the ways people navigate disruption across the lifespan. He found that we experience roughly thirty-six transitions in a lifetime, averaging one every twelve to eighteen months. Often several pile up at once, especially when we are older. Common transitions for older adults include a shift in health or ability, a marital change (death or divorce), a new housing situation, or a drop in expected income. …
The most common reason to move in later years is to be closer to children and grandchildren. Regardless of your reason for relocating, unless you plan to live with family, there will be many hours of the day when you are just plain newbies in town. How will you spend your time?
If proximity to younger kin is compelling your thoughts, clarify the role you want to play and see if it’s a shared vision. If you have hopes they will help as you get older, be sure to discuss that, as well as any childcare expectations they may have. Also think through if they need to relocate (e.g., job transfer), what will you do then? …
Moving a parent to memory care or an adult family home can be a difficult decision for families, but it’s often the best choice. The transition can be challenging initially, though your mom or dad will eventually become accustomed to the routines, sights, and sounds of their new residence.
In our experience as Care Managers, our clients who are living with a progressive condition such as Alzheimer’s or another dementia often do much better once they’ve made the move. Staff are adept at welcoming, orienting, and comforting new residents.
Facilitating a successful transition to a memory care community takes forethought and planning. Here are a few ideas to make the change easier and the transition a success: …