A New Year’s Resolution to Help an Aging Parent in Need
New Year’s is a time when millions of people make what are commonly referred to as “resolutions.” These are intended changes that would, if done right and followed through on, create a positive transformation in that person’s life. New Year’s Day goes by quickly though. Perhaps you didn’t bother making any resolutions. Maybe you became jaded about the whole idea, especially when providing senior care for somebody you love.
But what do you do as a family caregiver when you have been looking after your elderly mother, father, grandparent, spouse, sibling, or other loved one for months or even years? When you get to New Year’s Day, it often feels like the same as every other day. You keep stressing, worrying about the future, and wondering how things will be in just a few months. How can this year be any different?
Every moment is a new opportunity.
You don’t have to continue feeling stuck in any situation. You don’t even want to think of supporting your elderly mother or father as being “stuck,” do you? Of course not. That makes it seem as though it’s a burden. You take it as an obligation, a responsibility, your duty, an act of love.
Those are all wonderful things but never underestimate just how much stress looking after somebody can cause. That’s why assisted living is arguably one of the best senior care options available to people just like you.
How can you help this aging parent with assisted living?
Maybe you always thought of assisted living as a last option. Maybe you have the wrong idea about it. Most Americans do. Would it surprise you to realize that the majority of people in your situation view assisted living as just like other types of medical-focused facility care?
Assisted living allows aging men and women the opportunity to maximize their quality of life while being surrounded by experienced staff members who can assist them any time they need.
Instead of “passing them off on someone else,” you would be helping them to transition from a life of struggle, isolation, and loneliness to one where they are surrounded by people their age, perhaps friends they haven’t talked to in many years, activities, and opportunities they haven’t even thought of yet.
It’s never too late to talk about senior care.
Just because you may see this as your responsibility, to look after them, it’s not. Not in this day and age, not when places like assisted living are right down the street.
Whether we have just started the new year, are many months into it, or the end of the year is approaching, it’s the perfect opportunity for a “new” start. Sit down and learn as much as you can about assisted living. Contact our local facility and schedule a time to meet or take a tour.
If you’re worried about how your loved one might react, consider how they may feel a few months after moving in and being reinvigorated by life. Wouldn’t that be great for all of you?