For those of us who have family members suffering from cognitive conditions, we know all too well how hard it is to provide the appropriate care for them at home. Alzheimer’s and other related dementias are all progressive diseases whose symptoms may increase or worsen with time. As such, this also means that caregivers have to provide specialized and dedicated care. However, due to limited resources and manpower at home, sometimes the care provided at home for the patient are not sufficient.
Moving to memory care would be a better choice for our loved ones as they will be able to receive more comprehensive care there. These communities provide memory enhancing treatments through specially curated diets, as well as senior activities and exercises. However, for most older adults who have lived in their homes for years, asking them to move to memory care away from what they are familiar with is an unimaginable scenario and a difficult choice that most would reject. If you are looking for ways to convince your parents to move to memory care, you’ve come to the right place.
Be Patient
It’s tough for your parent to digest the idea of having to bid farewell to their family home. You will have to expect that one conversation won’t be enough to do the trick. It will take many conversations spanning weeks or even months and years to get them to come to acceptance with it. You will not only have to exercise patience not only in listening to their potential angry responses, but also with the duration of time that will have to go into speaking to and convincing your loved one.
Get The Whole Family Involved
If your parent is experiencing more advanced cognitive decline, their decision-making skills will be affected and it thus may not be suitable to leave the decision to them anymore. At this point, it is recommended that you extend the conversation to the entire family. You would want everyone in the family to be on board with the medical decision to have your parent move to memory care.
Be Positive
We are not trying to say that you should sugar coat things. Rather, what we are suggesting here is that you focus more on selling the benefits of moving to memory care to them, and change your language and vocabulary in speaking about the changes they will experience in their lives. For instance, it doesn’t sound very pleasant if you describe the place as a “facility” instead of “community”. The former sounds cold while the latter sounds welcoming. Your choice of words can make a difference.
Be Respectful
In conversations, keep in mind not to sound like you have already made the decision for them and are merely informing them. As they are the main beneficiary of this move, it is normal that they want to have control and say over the eventual result. You should be respectful of your loved one by seeking their opinions on all matters involving the move.
