The decision to move to a senior living community is deeply personal for every family. Whether the older adult in your life has made plans to move into an independent or assisted living community, or you have made the difficult choice to move your loved one into a memory care community, this major milestone brings a horde of emotions for seniors, caregivers, and family members alike.
Because this transition is not easy, it makes sense that families want to carefully weigh their options and consider what will work best for their loved one’s unique needs and preferences. They may have questions about the differences between various communities or the cost of everything, and experience anxieties about the quality of care or the perceived loss of freedom and autonomy. Sometimes, the source of the anxiety is the decision itself.
Unfortunately, many families wait until there is an urgent need to make a decision, such as after a major medical emergency or when it becomes clear that their loved one needs more care than they can provide. Some older adults may be resistant to moving or feel that they’re too young to start thinking about senior living. However, considering your options early comes with many benefits for both seniors and their families.
In this article, we will explore several key reasons why you should have the senior living conversation sooner rather than later.
Why Start the Conversation Early?
There are numerous advantages to having a future plan in place before your senior loved one becomes urgently in need of a move into a senior living community. In a crisis, you don’t have the time or energy to search for and critically examine your options. Since the need is immediate, you likely aren’t entering this important decision with a clear understanding of what type of care is best for your family’s needs and budget. Many communities also have waiting lists, making it more difficult to find an available residence in a pinch.
Discussing the transition before a crisis occurs allows your aging loved one to have greater input over which senior living community they would like to move into — and even whether they want to move into one at all. It is crucial for seniors, caregivers, and immediate family members to be on the same page regarding the plan, with the main priority and focus always being the senior's wishes and well-being.
The move to a senior living community involves many logistical details beyond “where am I going?” and “who’s paying for this?” Older adults often transition into senior living from a family home that they’ve lived in for a considerable time. It will take time and effort to go through the process of downsizing, selling the house, and other administrative tasks. These processes can be emotionally and mentally taxing on their own without adding avoidable urgency to the mix.
While seniors may initially bristle at the idea of moving to a senior living community at a younger age, you would be hard pressed to find a resident who wishes they’d waited longer to move in. In fact, once seniors make the move, they’re frequently surprised by how much they enjoy the support, amenities, and connection that senior living communities offer.
The longer an older adult puts off a move, the more complex the emotional and mental impact can become. The chances of a major health event increase, family visits become increasingly task-oriented rather than connection-oriented, and loneliness and isolation may begin to creep in as social circles shrink. Loved ones may increasingly feel the strain of caregiving, which can leave family members feeling resentful and seniors feeling like a burden.
What Are the Different Senior Living Options Available?
While the world of senior living can seem complex and confusing, there are generally four main categories of senior living communities: independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing care. Each of these offers diverse levels of support.
Independent living is best suited for seniors who want to minimize the stress and labor of daily tasks while still maintaining the independence and privacy of an individual home. These communities typically offer amenities like on-site dining options, maintenance and laundry services, and a senior-friendly home environment. They are designed for older adults who are generally in good health and self-reliant.
Assisted living is designed to meet the needs of seniors who might experience challenges with daily tasks. These communities offer more supportive care than independent living, but not as much as a skilled nursing care setting. Seniors who are relatively independent but require minimal or moderate assistance with activities of daily living can benefit the most from this level of care.
Typically, the assistance offered includes support with personal care and an individual’s daily routine, including tasks such as getting dressed and taking a shower, as well as medication administration. Assisted living residents can also enjoy on-site amenities like meals and dining services, laundry, housekeeping, maintenance services, and engaging social events and programs.
Memory care communities offer specialized care for older adults with symptoms of cognitive change or a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Similar in style and structure to most assisted living communities, these settings offer a well-designed home environment with enhanced safety and security features, as well as consistency in routine and staffing, to best support residents. They focus on human interaction and creating meaningful opportunities for connection, while managing evolving care needs.
Skilled nursing care settings offer the highest level of care, providing more extensive healthcare services and greater assistance with daily living tasks. While assisted living and memory care communities provide scheduled daily care, a skilled nursing care setting offers 24/7 care to residents as needed. These settings can also provide specialized care for seniors with advanced Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Senior living communities may be standalone or part of a continuum of care, where seniors can transition from one level of care to another within the same campus or community network.
What Are the Advantages of Senior Living?
Senior living offers a wealth of advantages, including assistance with household and daily living tasks, a wide array of engaging activities, and opportunities for social connection, as well as a sense of security and peace of mind.
Hospitality and maintenance services take care of unwanted household tasks, giving seniors more free time and allowing them to save their valuable time and energy for the things that they want to do. This free time won’t go to waste, as senior living communities keep their calendars filled to the brim with various activities, events, social clubs, and outings.
If your senior loved one chooses to move into a senior living community, they can expect a comfortable and secure home, staff on-site 24/7, transportation services, housekeeping and landscaping services, flexible dining options, fitness and wellness programs, health services, engaging activities, and emergency services. There’s no better time to visit a senior living community than the present.
To learn more about choosing the right senior living community for yourself or a senior loved one, contact a Stoney Brook senior living expert today. Experience the Stoney Brook difference and the many benefits of relationship-centered living! Subscribe to our blog for valuable free resources. Schedule a tour at any of our Central Texas assisted living and memory care communities and see why our residents call Stoney Brook home.