Downsizing and settling in to an assisted living community can feel overwhelming. As is true of any big change in life, moving is an adjustment no matter how excited you are for a new chapter. It isn’t uncommon for seniors and adult children to struggle to unpack, organize, and feel at home.

If you or a senior loved one has recently moved or is planning to, we have a few tips that may help make the transition go more smoothly.

4 Tips for Adjusting to Life at an Assisted Living Community

Get involved before you move.

Many people struggle with change. For older adults who lived in their home for decades, moving can be physically and emotionally challenging. Giving up a home that has many fond memories attached to it can be tough. You might find yourself questioning if you are making the right decision.

One suggestion is to get involved at the assisted living community before moving. Ask the life enrichment team how you can do that. With current concerns about the coronavirus, team members are getting creative about keeping residents safely engaged in activities and events. There might be opportunities for you to connect with residents through video chat platforms, such as Zoom or Skype.

Take your time downsizing and moving.

Unless you must move quickly for a health reason or if your house is sold, try to establish realistic timelines. There are so many tasks associated with downsizing and moving that it’s easy to be paralyzed by all of the details. Hosting an estate sale and finding a charity to donate unneeded household items to are time-intensive projects.

Some older adults and their families wait to list or sell the house until after the move. Then you can set up a more reasonable schedule for downsizing and selling the home.

Make the new place resemble the old one.

An all-new environment with unfamiliar faces can be intimidating, especially for more reserved seniors. One step to settle in faster is to make your assisted living apartment look and feel familiar.

As you plan your move, decide how to decorate your new apartment so it resembles home. While you might need to donate or sell some of your furniture and home décor, hang on to your most treasured items. Incorporating a favorite chair or love seat, framed family photos, and other memorabilia can help make your new residence comfortable.

Be kind to yourself as you settle in.

It’s important to remind yourself that you will have good and bad days during this time. Most residents find as the weeks go by, the good days outnumber the bad. Be patient and kind to yourself while you are adjusting to this change.

Some older adults and their families find it helpful to create a plan for handling bad days. It might be an agreement to call an adult child or watch favorite family videos for comfort.

Visit a Five Star Community Today

Whether it’s an in-person visit or a virtual tour of a senior living community near you, there are many ways you can get to know Five Star Senior Living. We invite you to contact us to learn more!

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The holidays are a season when families often gather together to celebrate. For those who are separated by great distances, it may be the first time all year everyone has been reunited. Loved ones are frequently caught off guard by the decline they see in an older family member. This is one reason senior living communities often experience a spike in phone calls from adult children during late December and early January.

While touring an assisted living community may not have been part of your original holiday plans, it can actually be a good time to visit. From the festive decorations to the hustle and bustle of activities, here’s what to know about visiting an assisted living community during the holidays.

Why Visit an Assisted Living Community During the Holidays?

1. The community is lively and fun

It’s not just the holiday décor that makes the community seem so lively and fun. Assisted living communities also have very full life-enrichment calendars during the holiday season. Many of these activities and events are intergenerational gatherings, such as elementary school choir concerts and visits from scouting troops.

Families tend to visit more during the holidays, as well. This will provide you with an opportunity to talk with them about how satisfied they are with the community’s care and support.

2. Beat the post-holiday rush

Though family members may realize a senior loved one needs more assistance during their holiday visit, they often delay contacting assisted living communities. Many put off making calls and scheduling visits until after the holidays are over. This makes January one of the busiest times of year for assisted living communities.

If you start researching and touring communities in December, your aging parent or relative will likely have more open apartments or suites from which to choose.

3. The entire family can help

One of the best reasons for touring assisted living communities during the holidays is that more family members may be in town. You can divide up the research and the tours. If adult children conduct initial phone calls and visits, they may be able to eliminate options that aren’t a good fit for the senior. Then family members can all return together to visit those that seem like the most viable options.

Schedule Your Holiday Tour at Five Star Senior Living

If you will be visiting assisted living communities on a loved one’s behalf, we hope you will consider Five Star Senior Living. You can find a community near you or call us to schedule a time!

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Moving is exhausting at any age. Cleaning out closets, packing belongings, and arranging countless details can feel overwhelming. For seniors, moving can take more than just a physical toll, it can trigger grief and sadness. Leaving the home where a senior raised a family can be especially traumatic.

If you are helping a senior loved one prepare for a move to an assisted living community, it’s important to recognize the emotional struggle this situation can create. Adult children or other family and friends might find that a loved one’s agitation and anxiety increases dramatically as moving day gets closer.

Anxiety Caused by Relocation Stress Syndrome

A senior might be excited to start a new chapter in life, one that comes with fewer worries about home maintenance and repairs. Anxiety and grief, however, may still be a prominent issue. Psychologists refer to these emotions as relocation stress syndrome (RSS)—a unique set of struggles older adults encounter when they relocate in their later years.

How can you help a senior you love cope with relocation stress syndrome? 

Here are some ideas to help make this transition go more smoothly.

5 Tips for Making a Smooth Transition to Assisted Living

1. Empower

It’s easy to get busy and rush through the decision-making process without including your senior loved one. When you don’t include them, however, you take away their sense of independence. Unless your family member has a health condition that limits their ability to participate, include them when making important decisions. For example, make initial visits to assisted living communities to narrow the options, but bring your family member with you on second visits and listen to their feedback. Try to balance your desire to diminish your loved one’s anxiety with a need for them to feel empowered and involved in the process.

2. Respect

The process of downsizing and packing up a home can be stressful. It can also lead to disagreements between you and your senior loved one. It’s important to remember that what you may see as unnecessary junk might be of sentimental value to your family member. Consider renting a storage unit temporarily to help treasured items find a new home with friends or family. Knowing a keepsake they love is in a child or grandchild’s home can help reduce moving anxiety.

3. Continuity

Adult children sometimes hold an estate sale to get rid of everything, especially if their loved one is moving a great distance. Not only can this experience be traumatic for an older adult, it also prevents them from keeping their treasured possessions. Being surrounded by familiar furniture and belongings can help a new environment feel more like home. Providing that continuity is one more way you can help manage moving anxiety and sadness.

4. Prepare

Moving day, and the weeks leading up to it, can be extremely stressful. Take time and create a plan to make the transition easier for your loved one. A few days before the move, pack a suitcase with your loved one’s personal care items, medications, and other necessities. Also, prepare a supply box with items needed on moving day, such as a coffee pot and supplies, snacks, towels, and washcloths. Set aside any valuables that your senior wants to keep close. Be sure to place everything in the car instead of sending it with the movers.

5. Laugh

Try to maintain a sense of humor throughout this process and encourage your loved one to do the same. Things will go wrong no matter how carefully you prepare. Do your best to overlook the small inconveniences and find humor instead of frustration. Always focus on the end result—your senior loved one will be thriving before long!

Answering Questions about Moving to Assisted Living

Preparing for a move to an assisted living community can leave both seniors and their family members with many questions. To help make things a little easier, we’ve created a resource hub for seniors ready to “Make the Move“. These blogs and e-book address many issues ranging from moving anxiety to hiring a senior move manager. We hope you find it useful!

For more information about moving to a senior living community, contact the experts at Five Star Senior Living today!

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