There are so many things to love about memory care, including social opportunities, engagement, proper care, and safety. However, in order for your loved one to experience these benefits, they first have to make the transition from assisted living, at-home care, or another type of care into the memory care facility. As you can imagine, this transition isn’t always easy, but the first step is to start the conversation. At Avita Assisted Living & Memory Care at Rolling Hills, we do our best to make the transition into our memory care facility as smooth as possible. In today’s post, we’ll provide you with a few tips on how to talk to your loved one about memory care, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
How to Talk to Your Loved One About Memory Care
How to Talk to Your Loved One About Memory Care
Get Support From Siblings and Family Members
If you have siblings or other family members, it’s important to get them on board with the idea of memory care before you start talking to your loved one. This way, they can provide emotional support and be a sounding board for your ideas. Furthermore, having siblings or other family members involved in the decision-making process can help relieve some of the pressure you may be feeling. It can also help show your loved one that everyone is on board as opposed to just one person making the decision. This can be especially helpful if you've all had experience caring for your loved one.
Discuss the Benefits
When you do sit down to talk with your loved one about memory care, make sure to discuss all of the potential benefits. Memory care can provide social opportunities, help with activities of daily living, and most importantly, keep your loved one safe. Mentioning these benefits could help them see and understand the why behind this decision. It’s important to discuss the benefits in a way that resonates with your loved one and puts their mind at ease. For example, if they’re worried about safety, you can discuss how memory care can provide around-the-clock supervision.
Speak Positively About the Options
When you’re discussing memory care options with your loved one, it’s important to speak positively about the options. This means framing memory care in a way that highlights all of its best features. You can do this by sharing stories about other residents who have made the transition and are doing well, showing pictures of memory care facilities, and emphasizing how memory care can help your loved one live their best life.
Get a Credible Outside Opinion
In some cases, your loved one may have trouble accepting the idea of transitioning into memory care. This is completely normal, and you may find yourself having the conversation multiple times. In cases such as these, it can help to get a credible outside opinion on the matter to show your loved one that there are others out there who believe memory care is a great option. You can get an outside opinion from their doctor, a geriatric care manager, another professional who has experience with memory care, or possibly even another patient. By hearing about memory care from someone who isn't related, it can help make the conversation a little easier.
Transitioning into memory care is a big decision, but it’s one that comes with a lot of benefits. If you follow the tips above, you’ll be on your way to having a productive conversation with your loved one about memory care. As always, if you have any questions or would like to learn more about memory care, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Avita in Rolling Hills. We’re always happy to help in any way we can.