Assisted Living: How do you move a parent with dementia to assisted living?

If you’re considering moving a parent with dementia into assisted living, you’re probably wondering where to start. One of the best things you can do to ease the transition is to start early; it can help you avoid many difficulties when the time comes for your parent to move.

At Yorkshire Village, we understand the challenges involved with moving an aging parent into an assisted living community. Here are a few suggestions on how to best approach the process.

Plan ahead

For many reasons, you’ll have the most success moving a parent with dementia to assisted living if you start the process far ahead of time, possibly years before the move has to take place. When the disease is in its earliest stages, your parent will be most capable of being involved in the process; for example, choosing what community they’d like to move to when the time comes. 

Do research 

Not all assisted living facilities are equipped to care for seniors with dementia. Do plenty of research, and try to visit senior communities with your parent, if possible. You’ll also want to identify what needs your parent has, and what types of amenities they would like. 

Start downsizing

It’s likely that moving into assisted living will require a great deal of downsizing. It can be a difficult process, especially if your parent has a lot of belongings. Dementia makes it especially challenging to decide what to keep and what to donate. Starting the process of downsizing as early as possible after a diagnosis can make the move much less stressful when the time comes.

Involve a therapist

Moving to assisted living is an emotionally difficult process for everyone involved, which is why a talk therapist can be an invaluable part of your care team. It’s ideal to find a therapist to help your parent soon after they’ve been diagnosed, rather than waiting until things become more challenging. Talk therapy is most beneficial during the early stages of dementia.

Closing thoughts

It’s never too soon to start planning for a move to assisted living, especially for a parent with dementia. But whether you’re able to start early or not, it’s important to choose a community that provides memory care services, to ensure your parent receives an appropriate level of care.

Yorkshire Village is a beautiful and affordable assisted living community in the Southern California area. To learn more about our person-centered approach to memory care, click here to contact us today.