How to Explore Assisted Living Communities with Your Loved One

If you are helping an aging loved one find an assisted living solution, it is critical that you involve them in the process. Doing so both prevents feelings of alienation on their part and ensures that they ultimately move to a community in which they will find the most fulfillment. Nothing good can come of making the wrong choice for such a momentous life transition. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make this a collaborative process. It can teach you more about them than you thought you knew, and can even serve as a fun and exciting bonding experience. Below are just a few of the ways you can take this journey together.

Have a Candid Discussion

Before you begin the research process, it is important to have an honest conversation. Ask them just exactly what it is they are looking for in an assisted living community. Their answers might surprise you. Oftentimes, adult children or grandchildren assume they know what their loved one wants – but this is often not the case. Perhaps their desires and motivations have changed over the course of their retirement, or maybe there was never even a clear conversation about the topic to begin with. Having a discussion like this can help clear up any inaccurate assumptions before research is underway. 

Conduct Research Independently, Then Compare

The next step after your initial conversation is researching potential assisted living options based on what you learned. Set a timeline for you and your loved one to conduct research independently, and then compare your results. If you both selected many of the same potential candidates, this is a good sign that you are on the same page and know what you are looking for. If not, it may be time to further your conversation to locate the disconnect. If your loved one is not so technologically inclined, there certainly isn’t any harm in helping them look into communities online while letting them steer the ship.

Take Tours Together

When you have narrowed down your candidates, it is time to look beyond the copy on their website and get a better idea of what each option is all about. Taking a tour is a great way to do this – especially one you take together. This way, you can both witness the lifestyle each option provides while having an opportunity to ask questions that were not addressed on the website. If you are not comfortable with an in-person tour at this moment, most communities provide online virtual tours; doing these together can still provide plenty of benefits.

Remember, just because you feel a personal responsibility surrounding this decision, it is the life of your loved one that it will affect most. If you would like to learn more about making your loved one a part of the process, call WinnPrairie today at 815-656-4800 or contact us online. We are Freeport assisted living and memory care community offering a joy-filled senior lifestyle.