What if Your Senior Loved One is Adamantly Against Assisted Living?
There are questions that arise when an elderly parent or other family member begins struggling with basic care at home. Adult children, a spouse, and others may wonder what’s best for them, which could include assisted living. While this is one of the best senior care options for anyone over a certain age, not all seniors are going to be open to the idea of moving.
When an aging parent seems to be hostile to these ideas, what can family do?
In other words, can these adult children, spouses, or other family force them to make a move they don’t want to? In some rare instances, they could file proceedings in court to obtain power of attorney and allow those family members (more specifically, one family member) to make those types of decisions for him or her.
However, rarely do these circumstances work out for the benefit of anyone, senior or otherwise. That’s because whenever the courts become involved in these types of family related issues, it leads to tension, a breakdown in the relationships, resentment, animosity, and even hostility.
What is the better solution?
If an elderly person is adamantly opposed to the idea of moving out of their house, even if the prospect is into a quality assisted living facility, it’s not likely he or she is going to be forced without a court order. Even then, the process can take an incredibly long amount of time and the outcome does not always work out in favor of the family.
The best option is to proceed with patience, care, understanding, and love.
These are not always easy, but the best things in life rarely are. Yes, this elderly person may be subject to injuries, accidents, or other hazards because they refuse outside support and assistance or to even contemplate a move to assisted living. And yes, he or she might experience incredible loneliness if they don’t have the opportunity to visit with friends very often any longer.
However, it is their decision.
Perhaps the best first step is for the family to learn as much as possible about a specific assisted living facility in the senior’s area, go on a tour, see what kinds of activities take place on a regular basis, what the dining facility looks like, and begin talking about things this aging person might be missing out on.
It’s often the prospect of doing things the senior didn’t think were possible any longer that gets them contemplating and considering assisted living as a better alternative to what they have at the moment.
For more information about senior housing in Hollywood Park, TX, contact Pipestone Place Assisted Living or to take a tour, call today (210) 718-0211.
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