If living at home is starting to become an obstacle for your mom, dad, or both parents, it can be difficult to broach the subject of assisted living. After all, no one likes to hear that it might be time to sell the family home and move into a new community.

At Sweetwater, we understand this conversation, though difficult, is necessary. This is especially true if managing a household is proving to be more difficult for your loved ones. And if they’ve already sustained an injury at home from a trip or fall, this conversation may need to happen sooner than later.

How to Talk to Aging Parents about Moving

Most people are resistant to moving into a retirement community, simply because they have certain misconceptions about what they’re like. A common fear we often hear is the loss of independence. 

Although we can’t speak for every retirement community, we can assure you that, at Sweetwater, your loved ones will have more freedom, privacy, and independence to live each day the way they choose.

From our private apartment homes to 24/7 nursing care, our assisted living accommodations are designed to provide support whenever residents need it most. What makes us different is that we pair that peace of mind with empowerment, meaning we encourage our residents to pursue their passions, make new friends, and become an active member of our growing communities, regardless of ability.

Our goal is to help residents reclaim their independence, so they thrive each and every day!

If you’re struggling to bring up the topic of assisted living, we have a wide variety of resources and tools to help you make the conversation informative, collaborative, and even fun!

Sweetwater Resources for Starting the Conversation

A Final Note: The most important piece of starting the conversation is making sure your loved ones are active participants in the dialogue. The decision will have the greatest impact on their quality of life, so it’s best to keep them informed, let them ask questions, and provide them with helpful resources, so they feel confident about the future. For additional tips, please refer to our helpful guide on How to Talk to Loved Ones About Senior Living.

Please know that our team is always happy to help with this process! If you have questions or want to learn more about what we offer, and how we can provide the best retirement community possible for your loved ones, contact us today! 

Already Moving Elderly Parents?

If you’ve already had this conversation, and your parents are onboard with moving into an assisted living apartment home, the next step is organizing all the logistics. That way you can ensure the move is as seamless as possible and will put any anxiety or stress your loved ones are feeling at ease.

Checklist for Moving Parents into Assisted Living

  • Downsize: A lot of people don’t like to hear this word, but downsizing is a great way to remove clutter and make your household more manageable. When your loved ones move into an assisted living home, they’ll have their own space, but it will be smaller than the 3-bedroom home they live in now. Therefore, it’s important to begin the downsizing process now to keep things on schedule.
  • Talk to a Realtor: You’ll want to schedule a meeting with a local realtor you trust to assess your parents’ home and ensure they receive the best market value. 
  • Consider an Estate Sale: Depending on your parents’ wishes, they may decide to move forward with an estate sale to help liquidate the majority of their property and assets. For some who own a lot of personal property, this might be a beneficial option, however, it’s always best to make sure this is your parents’ decision and that an estate planning attorney is part of the discussion.
  • Hire Movers: Though it’s easy to think we can handle all the heavy lifting ourselves, sometimes it’s best to leave it to the pros. Be sure to compare moving companies for quality service, prices, etc. And as always, make sure your loved ones are part of this discussion. Most moving companies can help you pack your belongings, too, so if this option appeals to your family, it can save you time and energy.
  • Update Address: Be sure that you help your parents update their new address for the U.S. postal service, social security, voting registration, credit cards, subscriptions, etc. It’s also a good idea to help them memorize their new address before they physically relocate. 

Tips for Moving Parents into Assisted Living

Below we’ve included a few additional tips to help streamline the move and ensure your loved ones feel supported throughout the journey.

Make It a Family Event: The responsibility of moving your mom and dad shouldn’t fall on one sibling or relative. Make sure your loved ones, and even your parents’ closest friends, are part of the conversation and are each taking an active role so that this important responsibility never falls on one person.

Take Your Time: Remember that quality takes time and that going too fast can often result in mistakes or miscommunication. Try to take your time with everything and ask for help when needed!

Check-in with Mom and Dad: Even if you try to take it slow, things will move along, and though you might feel like you have a handle on everything, your mom and dad may feel a little anxious with so many new changes happening at once. 

Be sure to do a wellness check with your parents regularly. Ask them questions and allow them time to express how they feel. It can’t be stated enough that it’s vital for them to feel part of the conversation and be part of each decision.

Stay Connected to the Retirement Community: It’s also a good idea to check in with your parents’ retirement community to see how things are moving along with their apartment home and to confirm dates. Our team is happy to answer questions and provide support and resources during the moving process, so never be a stranger! 

We’ve worked with many families during this process, which means we know how stressful it can become. But the good news is that at Sweetwater, our residents quickly become family, so don’t hesitate to contact us for help.

Support for Your Loved Ones

We hope you found these resources helpful! If you have any questions, always remember to give us a call. We want your loved ones to feel good about their decision to move to Primrose, and we want you to feel good about it, too.

We know they’ll love it here!