By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-02-07 15:13:01 | Word Count: 664
Assisted Living facilities in New York will often allow seniors to “test drive” the home to see if they like living there. The seniors can get the idea of how the facility operates, the nurses and staff, and try some meals. It can be hard to adapt to a new place, but having an option to try a senior care facility before moving-in can help alleviate the anxiety of living in a new place.
Assisted living facilities help seniors with important daily activities including housework, medicine, transportation, bathing, among other things. For many seniors, the decision to move into a senior care facility can be frightening. But, fortunately many assisted living facilities offer a trial stay to allow the senior to decide whether or not they should move into that facility. Usually seniors can trial stay for up to a month with no obligation to sign a contract. Many seniors will decide whether they like the facility or not within the first week of staying in a senior care facility. They get the feel of the facility, learn the policies, and start meeting other residents and from there they know if they will be able to live in the facility.
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Moving out of one’s home is never easy, and neither is the realization that becoming elderly means you need some assistance with daily living. No one ever has a self image of a debilitated old man or woman, but that’s not what assisted living is all about. It means just what it says, that a person may need help with cooking, or with cleaning, or with dressing or even bathing in order to go on living in the manner and way they once knew. This is often best accomplished in one of New Yorks’ more highly rated assisted living facilities, in order to prevent a senior from falling, or from not eating right, or from having their health diminish on a daily basis – without someone there to see the subtle changes. This is one of the greatest benefits of having a senior or aging loved one in an assisted living environment.
The decision for a senior to move into a care facility can be a tough, long, and challenging experience for many seniors. Helping someone move into assisted living requires some transition, research, and planning. There are a few important things to know when helping your senior loved one move into Assisted Living.
Moving can be very emotional for seniors and their caregivers, so be sure to listen to your loved ones. Many seniors have anxiety about the transitions that are taking place, and they often see the move as a loss of independence. Listening and understanding your senior loved one can help make the move as comfortable as possible.
If you can wait to sell the house, do so. Selling your loved ones’ house right away can cause upset and possibly depression. Also, make sure to give extra support when the senior has moved into long-term care. The transition will be tough, but assuring your loved one that everything is “okay” and not everything is changing will help make the move a better decision for your loved one.
A geriatric care manager can help with finding the level of care your senior loved one may need. They may also help with the transition and the emotional aspects of the move. Also, getting a financial advisor can help your aging loved one with any questions they may have about their finances during the move.
Since moving is emotional, it is important to have your loved one feel at home in their new living situation. Take personal items to the assisted living home such as photographs, stuffed animals, memory books, and anything that is sentimental to the senior. Having a phone, or access to a phone, can also help the senior feel more independent in the care facility. The caregiver and the family will help the senior transition if they are actively involved in the move. Also, be there for your loved one during this experience, join them in their daily tasks and visit frequently. Being close to those you know, will make you feel more at home.
Allowing a senior to stay temporarily in one of New York’s assisted living facilities is a low risk option that many facilities are implementing. Some senior care facilities even allow traveling seniors to stay in the facility, just as if it were a hotel. Many care facilities allow this in their community because they feel it may make a valuable impression on the senior, which may mean they will choose that facility someday. A temporary stay in an assisted living home will help you and your senior loved one decide if the location and the care type is appropriate for your seniors aging needs.
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