If you’re preparing to move a loved one to a memory care community, you’re not alone. Millions of others are doing the same, and the number of people needing such specialized care is expected to surge in the years to come. Finding the right community to meet your loved one’s needs is the first step in the process. Once you’ve made that decision, though, numerous additional details are going to enter the mix. Moving is never a fast or easy process, but a few helpful tips can make matters a bit less stressful.
Transitioning a Loved One to Memory Care
Summerfield of Stockton is your loved one’s partner in successful aging. We offer beautifully furnished apartments and an array of services to help keep your loved one happy, healthy, active, and safe. Our caring and highly trained team is here to provide all the customized care your aging loved one requires. From catering to their emotional and religious needs to providing top-notch physical care and activities, our memory care living community covers all the important points.
It’s important to transition your loved one into a senior living community as easily as possible and with minimal stress. That’s not always a simple feat when dealing with a dementia sufferer. Extenuating circumstances apply in situations like this. Consider the following points while preparing for the move.
Make a Checklist
First of all, sit down and make a checklist of all the details that need to be covered. These could include address changes and shutting off the utilities at your loved one’s current home. It should also cover items that need to move with your loved one and those that may need to be thrown away, donated, or given to friends and relatives. Start this process as early as possible, so you can add to it as new considerations come to light. This checklist will help you develop a plan for moving that allows you to progress gradually.
Be Prepared for Your Loved One’s Reactions
Dementia affects people in different ways at different times. Those effects become more serious as the condition progresses, but they can be significant even in the earliest stage. Certain stressors can trigger negative reactions from your loved one especially when it comes to sorting through and packing up his or her personal belongings. Remain calm during the process, and approach it slowly. Consider covering one room or area of the house at a time. Try to eliminate possible distractions that could make things more hectic. Turn off the television or radio, and try to avoid having young children present.
Even with a calm demeanor and few distractions, your loved one may not fully accept the idea of packing away his or her belongings. You may be met with sadness or resistance at every turn. Your loved one may even shut down if you ask him or her to choose which clothes or personal items to take to the new home. In some cases, dementia sufferers may become angry or react violently, quite literally trying to fight you over those belongings.
If that happens, it may be necessary to take a step back. Wait until your loved one is asleep to continue sorting and packing or have a friend or relative take him or her out for a little while. Alternatively, you could seek respite care while you finish the process.
Don’t Do More Than You Have to
Determining which details require immediate attention and which ones don’t is also important when moving a loved one to memory care in Stockton, CA. If he or she is moving into a furnished apartment, you won’t need to worry about moving everything. All those heavy, bulky items like appliances and furniture can be handled after the move. You can select a few items your loved one cherishes to send along and hold the others until the transition is complete. Those are only a couple of measures to help ease the stress on everyone involved.
Don’t do more than you have to. It’s not procrastinating, and it’s not lazy or thoughtless. It’s simply a way to reduce stressors for you and your aging loved one while making downsizing much simpler. Keep in mind, there’s absolutely no harm in asking friends and relatives for help or enlisting the services of senior moving specialists.
Strategizing and Simplifying
These measures can go a long way toward simplifying the process of moving a loved one into assisted living or memory care. Those who are living with dementia have unique needs, and their condition can make moving a bit more difficult than it would be in other situations. Approach the matter slowly, and don’t place more stress than necessary on your loved one or yourself. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if need be.