Everybody wants to stay in their home for as long as possible. For your parents, their home offers sentimental, emotional, and long-life attachments. Therefore, when you come up with the topic of taking them to assisted living, they might be a little bit unreceptive.
Though the home they have spent their lives in is essential to them, it is not always in their best interest to stay. Therefore, it becomes your responsibility to devise ways of convincing them to move to ALF. Essentially, this involves giving them a talk about the realities and the dangers of staying at home with a functional or health decline. Typically, with age, leaving the house for elders becomes a difficulty. Consequently, the elders get fewer opportunities to socialize, which in turn leaves them socially incapacitated. Typical household tasks such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, and grooming become challenging. Additionally, with the decline in cognitive capacities, these elders may also fall prey to scams. Additionally, they may forget to switch off appliances in the kitchen, which can be quite dangerous for their health. In this piece, you will learn how to convince your parent/s to go to assisted living facilities (ALF) with ease. Method #1: Plant The Seed While presenting your case to your parent/s on why you want them to move to assisted living, you may want to avoid sounding like you already decided for them. This can lead to continued resistance and possible refusal. Therefore, in your approach, take a general stance and talk to your parent/s about ALF and how it has helped other people. If you know your parent’s acquaintances in assisted living, you can mention them in passing. Essentially, this conversation should happen naturally without sounding like you suggest moving to assisted living. If you are successful, they will contemplate the exchange, and when the time is ripe, having the discussion will not be a problem. Method #2: Conduct Your Research The next thing is to ensure that you can give the parent a fundamental understanding of life for people in ALFs. As a starter, you will need to research assisted living facilities in your neighborhood. Then you can casually suggest taking the parent to one of the facilities for a tour. If they are willing, then your work becomes one step easier. However, if they are not ready, drop the subject immediately. Avoid appearing disappointed since they will feel you want them to go to ALF and have already decided. This might create resistance in the future. Method #3: Wait for a “Scenario” At one point or the other, a “scenario” will materialize. For instance, if your mom falls but somehow avoids getting hurt, you can use that as a starting point. Though you will need to exercise discretion, you will need to decide whether to bring up the assisted living topic immediately or afterward. At such a point, be sure to use it timely. If you are too late to make the suggestion, you may never have another opportunity. If you are too early, you may provoke resistance. Generally, this is a matter of perfect timing. When your parent appears the most receptive and willing to accept the suggestion, please take the opportunity and tell them about ALFs. Method #4: Get Some Referrals Referrals are a great way to convince your parent/s to go to ALF. If you didn’t know, it helps the parent know that other people like them in these facilities. Typically, this knowledge sparks a need to reach out and catch up with their old friends. Additionally, with referrals, your parent/s and you get to learn about the ALFs without bias. If you can find a facility where a friend of your parent currently lives, making the suggestion will more or less be like suggesting that your parent meets their friend. Method #5: Give Your Parent a Tour of the Facilities Assisted living facilities typically have forums where those living there get to interact with visitors. You can take your parent/s on a tour of these forums without really making that suggestion. This will help your parent/s synthesize the benefits of ALFs and make a decision accordingly. Consequently, when you decide to broach the subject, the conversation will be an easy one. With the tours and continued subtle indication of the importance of ALFs, you can easily convince your parent/s to be in a new life in one of the facilities. Method #6: Continuously Stress the Benefits of ALFs Though you should not sound overly suggestive, you should make it your habit to sneak in the benefits of ALFs into normal conversations naturally. This will naturally create the will to seek help from these facilities. Additionally, the benefits conversation leads to evaluating the current situation at home, which might further help in the relocation. Method #7: Broach the Subject through a Family Meeting Once you have created enough foundation, it is time to talk. However, you will need the assistance of other family members, relatives, and friends who your parent/s know and respect. During this meeting, communicate to your parent/s how important it is for them to move and how everybody in the family will appreciate it. However, please don’t make it sound like a finished decision or a compulsory action. Use conversations to express concern and care for the parent. This will reduce resistance, and all you have to wait for is acceptance. In a Nutshell Getting your parent/s to move to ALF is not an easy task. When, therefore, you decide to make the suggestion, ensure that you use an approach that does not lead to resistance. Additionally, let it appear from the point of care and concert and not a need to get rid of your parent/s.
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