There are many reasons why you might have come to the decision to move an elderly loved one or relative into a care home. Perhaps they have been exhibiting signs of loneliness, and you feel that the move to a care home would help. They might also be experiencing certain health-related issues that you yourself are not equipped to help them with daily.
However, regardless of how necessary such a move might be, it can still be challenging to convince your loved one that it is the right thing to do. Ultimately, the thought of moving to a care home can be an intimidating and even disheartening one for many seniors.
The best thing that you can do in such cases is not only find the perfect home for them but also keep them involved in the process of finding the right location. When they are part of the decision-making process, it can help them to feel more in control and thus more comfortable with the change in general.
With this in mind, if you are about to begin your search for the perfect care home for your aging loved one, here are a few ways how you can include them in the process.
Ask Their Opinion
The first and perhaps simplest way to keep your loved one involved with finding the right care home is to ask them for their opinions and input. You can ask them several questions to get a better sense of what they would like in their new home.
Do they want to remain in or near their current neighborhood, or would they prefer to move to a new location? If they live in a certain area of London, for instance, there are communities like Signature Care Homes that come highly recommended. Are there certain services or amenities that they would like to have available at their new home? Different homes are going to offer a different range of such things.
Take Them On Tours
Once you have gotten together with your loved one to create a list of options for potential care homes, it will be time to go to see the facilities in person. This is another opportunity for you to keep your loved one included in the process.
When you go on tours, make sure to encourage your loved one to ask any questions that might be on their mind about their new living situation. This is going to be their new home, after all, potentially. They should feel comfortable asking about the things that are important to them.
Be Patient
Above all, the most important thing that you can do to help your loved one remain involved in the process is practice patience with them. There will certainly be times when they are apprehensive or perhaps even hostile about the change. However, a bit of patience on your part can go a long way to keeping them involved and comfortable with the process.
