You’ve just made one of the hardest decisions of your life regarding your
parent’s care. Moving a loved one into assisted living is not easy for anyone
involved. Change is hard: hard for caregivers and children, and definitely hard
for seniors who may be giving up a home they’ve lived in most of their life.
Many families will feel guilty about this decision, but when caregiving becomes
unsafe or too difficult it’s absolutely necessary to move mom or dad into an
environment that will address all of their care needs and security while
affording them a meaningful quality of life. Although this guilty feeling is
normal, our team
of assisted living associates in Camden County is here to remind you
of three major reasons why you’re doing the right thing for your loved one, as
well as yourself.
1. Moving your loved one into assisted living doesn’t mean you abandoned
them or failed. The main source of guilt comes from the “what if” type
of questions you plague yourself with. What if I tried this treatment with Mom,
could that have prolonged her independence at home? Did I give up too quickly
on caring for her? Am I selfish? These questions are both unfair and untrue.
You did not fail as a caregiver or abandon your loved one by asking for help.
Part of being a good caregiver is realizing when the situation has escalated
beyond your control. It is also fair to acknowledge that you have a right to
your own life and an obligation to your own children that may be suffering.
Relinquishing control and putting your loved one in the hands of an experienced
care team is the smartest way to keep them safe and give you peace of mind
while giving them the level of care they deserve. You could also choose an
assisted living community that is close to where you live so you can still see
your loved one often and ensure everyone caring for mom is on the same page
with treatments.
2. Moving your loved one into assisted living prioritizes their
health and safety. An assisted living community that offers
rehabilitation, skilled nursing and memory care is well equipped to handle a
wide range of senior health conditions. If your parent is showing signs of
Alzheimer’s or they have serious mobility issues, living home alone could
quickly become dangerous. A change in their living situation is necessary if
they require 24-hour health and safety monitoring and a higher level of care.
You definitely should not feel guilty about this because 24-hour monitoring and
care is impossible for just one person to take on. At an assisted living
community, there is a fully staffed team of professionals available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week to care for your loved one.
3. Moving your loved one into assisted living prioritizes your
own health. This change in your loved one’s living situation
prioritizes your health as much as theirs. Being a full-time caregiver takes a
mental and physical toll, especially if you don’t have help. As we mentioned
earlier, it’s completely normal to second guess ourselves and feels guilty.
However, you have to keep reminding yourself that every family’s situation is
different, so it’s not fair to compare your situation to someone else’s. It’s
also worth mentioning that the people around you who don’t help or don’t fully
understand the situation are not qualified in the slightest to make judgments
about this move. They say “ignorance is bliss,” so let the negative comments go
in one ear and out the other.
Assisted living for seniors in Camden County NJ
At our assisted
living community in Collingswood, associates are available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week to care for our senior residents. Whether they need help with
daily tasks like dressing or meal preparation or need someone to listen to
their concerns about transitioning to assisted living – our compassionate
associates are here and ready to provide the level of care your loved one truly
deserves.
To find out more about assisted living for seniors in Camden County NJ,
please contact us today or visit our website at: https://collingswood.umcommunities.org/
Original content posted on https://collingswood.umcommunities.org/collingswood/dont-feel-guilty-youre-doing-the-right-thing/
No comments:
Post a Comment