Should Aging Parents Move In With You, Or Is It Time To Consider Senior Living?

When considering the difficult decision between moving an aging parent into your household or if it’s time to consider senior living options, you may consider many questions and scenarios.

Unfortunately, we hear these stories far too often. “Well, mom didn’t want to leave her home, so we thought we were helping her by keeping her home or with us.”

The sad truth is, if you allow yourself or a loved one to wait until something bad happens, you may end up in a senior living community that is not a good fit, or under rushed circumstances. This can cause you or your loved one to lose their sense of independence and sacrifice their quality of life.

How to Know When to Move Into Senior Living

As every Minnesotan knows, winter is quickly approaching. Now is the time to think about all the risks to you or a loved one when temperatures drop, snow begins to fall, and ice forms on our streets and sidewalks.

Slipping on the ice or wandering outside in this cold weather can lead to a scary or even tragic ending for some. After the crisis, you’ll have to devise a plan for moving to a senior living community in a hurry, and that doesn’t work well. These crisis situations put family members and the individual under great stress and having to make a major lifestyle change quickly.

Knowing how and when to move to a senior living community should be well thought out and planned with care, comfort, and excitement!

Planning Your Move to Senior Living

When planning your move or a loved one's move into senior living, many family members like to visit 3-5 different senior living communities to get a feel for the environment.

Important factors to consider when exploring your options:

• Living Availabilities: Luxury senior communities tend to have waitlist, or the apartment you want may be occupied. Getting a head start on your application can put you in the best position to move in on time and before it is necessary.

• Layout and Amenities: Layout, decor, and services or amenities  all play an important role in each individual's comfort level and desire to move into luxury senior living. Your transition should feel like an extension of your home.

• Programs: Making sure your senior living community has the appropriate programs for you or your loved one is essential in supporting a healthy transition. Our independent living, assisted living, and memory care programs offer various services to support your needs best.

• Staff and Residents: Who you associate with and your care team are important factors in your overall happiness and well-being. Finding a senior community with staff members you trust to care for your loved ones can leave you with peace of mind they are in the best hands.

Start Planning Before The Crisis

The transition will be much easier and enjoyable by starting the process early, getting on a few waiting lists, and decluttering ahead of time. It can be an exciting time in someone’s life — a chance to make new friends, learn a new craft, and try new foods — but it will be traumatic if it’s an emergency situation and the choices are limited.

So, don’t wait for a crisis to consider when to move to senior living and your care options, either for you or a loved one. Start the conversation today and reach out to our team at The Pillars of Lakeville to set up a tour and learn more about our luxury senior living community.

Our knowledgeable staff can help answer any questions, relieve concerns you or your loved one may have, and can give you in-depth insights on which program is best for you.

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