Guilt is a common feeling for adult children who have recently moved a parent to assisted living. Even if you have done your research and found the best senior care facility possible, you might feel like you have failed your parent in some way.
This emotional response is understandable. Your parents took care of you and you want to be able to do the same for them. Maybe you know the move is for the best, but you wish you could have done more to keep your mom or dad at home.
If you are dealing with guilt after a parent moved to assisted living, the following tips can help you accept the situation and overcome the negative feelings that may come with the transition.
Change the Narrative
One of the first things you need to do is change the story you are telling yourself about the decision to move a parent to assisted living. In many cases, the adult children will tell themselves that they could have done more or that they failed their aging parent.
These stories you tell yourself about failing your parent or not doing enough are not true. A move to assisted living is not a failure. If you are moving a parent to assisted living, you and the parent were probably facing challenges that could not be handled properly in the home. By making this decision, you are doing the best you can to ensure a life that is safer, healthier and more fulfilling for your loved one.
Focus on the Benefits
Seniors can benefit from a wide range of services and resources at an assisted living community. These facilities are designed with senior care in mind and there are professionals there to see to their needs if they have any issues. For most senior care residents, living at an assisted living community is better for their safety and their health.
As an additional point, a senior community can offer a better quality of life for aging adults. Living around peers in their age group can help to provide an aging adult with a better social life. Along with that, most senior care facilities go to great lengths to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for activities and outings.
Get Back to Your Life
If you have been caring for an aging parent, you have probably been spending so much time on their needs that you didn’t do much for yourself. Not handling the care of your parent may feel strange at first, but it is also a good opportunity to start doing things for yourself.
Take some of the time that would have gone to caring for your parent and get back to the things you love to do. Maybe you have a hobby that you put to the side for the last few years or maybe you would like to reconnect with friends. Whatever it may be, you will start feeling better about the situation when you allow yourself to get back to living your life.
Visit Regularly
You can still spend a lot of time with your parent when they are living in an assisted living community. Regular visits will help you feel better about the decision and it will also help your parent to adjust to the new living situation. In time, you will see that your parent is happier and better off in a place where all of their needs can be met.
Meet the Staff
You could also take the time to get to know the staff once your loved one has moved to an assisted living center. Being familiar with the staff will help you to better understand the benefits that come with living at the facility and it will help you to get over your worries that your mom or dad is being cared for by people you do not know. Once you know the staff at the facility, you will see that they are professionals who are dedicated to providing the best living experience possible for the residents.
With our experience offering senior care in Simi Valley, we understand the emotional challenges that may come with moving a family member to a senior community. As a part of our mission to provide the best assisted living services available, we are ready to help you and your loved one as you adjust to the transition.