Why Family Matters in Assisted Living
As the world’s population gets older, the need for a family to understand assisted living and what it offers to the lives of the elderly is becoming much more important.
But while a lot of family members think that their loved ones can have the best life in these communities, what they fail to realize is the importance of their involvement in achieving that goal for their family members.
Loneliness and the Difficulty of Transitioning to Assisted Living
Loneliness is a common feeling among seniors transitioning to assisted living. When someone who has lived in the same house for many years needs to move into a completely different living arrangement, it’s not uncommon to feel separation anxiety and loneliness that could even lead to depression if not addressed promptly.
While assisted living communities aim to provide the most home-like environment for residents, family members still play an important role in helping seniors transition smoothly into this new community without feeling isolated or left alone.
Family members can visit regularly and even engage in activities with their loved ones so they can feel that sense of belongingness to the family even if they’re living in a different community.
They can also offer to assist with caring for their loved one while respecting the roles of healthcare workers and their level of skill to avoid getting too involved.
Quality Time over the Length of Time with Every Visit
A lot of residents in assisted living communities have loved ones, especially spouses, who visit them on an almost daily basis.
Although this could be thought of as a nuisance, it is actually highly appreciated by healthcare workers in these communities because of how they benefit the overall wellbeing of their loved ones and even other residents. Some of these family members eventually build great relationships with other residents and their constant interaction with them allows them to understand the needs of lonely residents who are not visited by their own families.
A lot of healthcare staff in these assisted living communities report that these family members help make the lives of other residents better and not just their own loved ones.
They also remind those family members who fail to visit their loved ones that although they already sent them to these communities, their responsibility as primary caregivers is still not over.
It doesn’t matter if they can only visit for a short period of time because quality time is more important than the length of time in supporting loved ones in assisted living.
The Takeaway
The family will always be a person’s strongest foundation and it holds true even for the elderly population. While seniors need specialized care because of existing medical conditions, they need the love and support of their family members the most to make sure that they don’t feel lonely and enjoy the best quality of life possible.
At the end of the day, family involvement is a crucial part of the care of seniors in assisted living.
Richmont Senior Living is proud to serve Ashland, NE and the surrounding cities: Memphis, Springfield, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Waverly, Murdock, Ithaca, and Chalco
