Common Fears About Moving into Assisted Living and How Families Can Help Ease Them

Older adults often spend most of their lives living in one home, one neighborhood, and in the same social circle. However, as they age and their mobility reduces, their families can struggle to provide the level of care they need, which an assisted care community offers. 

Understandably, it’s an overwhelming decision for your senior loved one to make a move to a senior living community, away from everything they have built and maintained over the years. But as a family who’s much closer to them than anyone else, you can put out these fears and help them smoothly transition to a senior care home. 

In this post, we’ll discuss three common fears about moving into assisted living and how you can help your loved one overcome them with ease.

Common Fears About Assisted Living

1. Fear of Losing Freedom

Most older adults are hesitant to move to a senior care community for fear of losing their freedom. For someone who’s never visited or heard of senior communities before, it’s common to foster such a fear inside. It’s natural for your loved one, who spent decades managing their lives and making decisions for themselves, to fear moving to assisted living, where they don’t know if they’ll lead lives as they wish or follow strict orders and routines.

How You Can Help Them Overcome This Fear:

A simple one-to-one talk will greatly help your loved one and ease their stress. Assisted living communities do offer assistance and support to residents with their daily living activities, but they do so to enhance freedom and autonomy rather than suppress it. Moreover, assisted care communities provide a range of amenities and services, including housekeeping, laundry, apartment maintenance, 24/7 care, and even on-site therapy sessions, ensuring there’s enough free time for your loved one to enjoy their hobbies.

While your loved one may still feel overwhelmed about moving to an assisted living home, you can talk to them and help them understand that their freedom won’t be sacrificed. 

2. Fear of Isolation and Loneliness

Apart from fearing their freedom being taken away, seniors often worry about being isolated and lonely in an assisted living community. However, they do have a valid reason behind this fear. They are leaving their family, friends, and a home where they have spent decades of their lives and probably made countless memories. 

How You Can Help Them Overcome This Fear:

It’s natural for your loved one to fear and feel sad about packing their whole life in a few bags and moving to a new, unfamiliar place where they don’t know anyone. But this fear can be overcome by showing them that it won’t be a lonely and isolated journey. 

Senior care communities know that isolation and loneliness are prevalent among seniors, especially those who are at the beginning of their move to a retirement home. Thus, they provide ample opportunities for residents to socialize with each other. To encourage social engagement and a fun lifestyle, most assisted care communities organize a range of social clubs, activities, and events, including

• Card games and board games
• Book Club
• Happy Hour
• Garden Club
• Arts and crafts
• Men’s Club

Moreover, senior living communities have shared spaces, including dining rooms, lounges, and outdoor gardens, where your loved one can meet and interact with other residents. It’s easier for your loved one to make friends there as everyone lives in one community, is in the same phase of life, and enjoys shared experiences. 

Additionally, you can reassure them that you will visit them every now and then, which will ease their situation. 

3. Fear of Being Left in a “Retirement Home” to Age

Many older adults associate today’s assisted care communities with traditional retirement homes, which often carry a negative perception. Your loved one may fear being placed in an environment that doesn’t feel like a home, with long hallways, sterile environments, and little personalization.

How You Can Help Them Overcome This Fear:

A simple visit to any senior care community with assisted living will put this fear to rest for your senior loved one. Today’s senior living communities are designed in a way to accommodate older adults in a home-like environment with private studios and apartments, a vibrant atmosphere, and 24/7 care.

The main goal of assisted living is not to make your senior loved one confined in a room but to offer an environment where they can thrive and lead a healthy lifestyle.  

Looking for a Relaxing and Comfortable Home for Your Senior Loved One on Assistance? Visit Bailey Pointe Assisted Living at Miracle Hills Today

Moving to a senior assisted living community is often one of the hardest decisions for your senior loved one. They may go through all sorts of emotions, including fear, stress, and anxiety. While you may also experience emotional turmoil seeing them in a distressful situation, you can find a relaxing and comfortable assisted care community that will put all these fears to rest. 

Located in Omaha, Nebraska, Bailey Pointe Assisted Living is a relaxing and laid-back community that offers a safe and home-like environment where your senior loved one can enjoy their golden years. 

If your loved one worries about moving into assisted living, schedule a tour of our community with them. It will help them know more about their new home and ease their fears.