Planning a move to assisted living, memory care, or hospice care can be trying, but there are steps families can take to make the move much easier. Understanding the challenges and how senior living communities can assist will make these care transitions seamless and help a loved one settle in faster with less stress and anxiety.
Moving to assisted living
Assisted living communities are staffed with caring professionals who understand how hard it can be to make the move from a family home to a new, unfamiliar environment. One of the most important steps seniors and their families should take is to choose the assisted living carefully.
As noted in the health.usnews.com article, “A Checklist for Finding the Best Assisted Living Facility,” there are many factors to consider, including location, size, cost, and care needs. For many seniors, it may also be wise to consider long-term possibilities, such as on-site memory care and hospice, to eliminate the need to move again should the need arise.
A great way to narrow the options is to arrange for a respite care stay. Respite care provides an opportunity for a brief stay at an assisted living or memory care community that allows a senior to experience the care transition without the long-term commitment. Seniors can get a feel for a community, its amenities, and the overall environment, and experience the levels and quality of care. Learn more about what respite care has to offer in our blog, “When Respite Care is the Perfect Solution.”
Moving from assisted living to memory care
When a senior needs memory care services, the care transition steps are especially important. A loved one with dementia may experience anxiety, anger, or confusion, which will only make the care transition more trying. On the positive side, however, seniors who only have to move to another area of the same community may experience less stress since the surroundings are often similar.
When planning the move from assisted living to memory care, ask staff for their help. They are experts and trained in dementia care transition, so they are an excellent resource to depend on. From the first day, caregivers will take time to build trust, developing a sense of security and familiarity, both of which can help minimize anxiety.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services “Dementia Care Series Caring Sheet #5: Moving Persons with Dementia? Suggestions for Family and Staff to Ease the Way” offers a number of suggestions for families and staff that can help make the care transition from assisted living to memory care easier for everyone. These include:
- Making the move when the senior is otherwise healthy.
- Involving the senior in the move to help them feel in control.
- Choosing a new apartment that is similar to the old one so the surroundings feel familiar.
- Avoid moving on the weekend when staff levels may be lower.
- Planning to visit more often to show support and address any problems.
For more ways to smooth the move to memory care, check out the alzheimerslab.com article “Preparation Tips Before Moving to a Memory Care Facility.”
Moving to hospice
Hospice care is designed to support a loved one and their family when the end of life is near. Generally, the care transition to hospice care is recommended when someone has six months or less to live. According to the nia.nih.gov article, “Frequently Asked Questions About Hospice Care,” hospice is not covered by Medicare unless the patient stops treatment meant “to cure or control their illness” and requires certification of a terminal condition by a physician.
The care transition to hospice care is often prescribed to help sustain quality of life when someone chooses to end treatment or when there is no possibility of a cure. The services include 24-hour-a-day medical care for pain management and relief of other symptoms, emotional and spiritual support for patients and their families, therapies, help with advance care planning, mental health care, and grief counseling, as well as many of the services provided in memory care or assisted living.
The care transition will vary depending upon the individual’s state of mind and acceptance of their condition and may be especially difficult for those with dementia. Families can meet with hospice staff to assess the best steps to take before, during, and after the move, and can expect compassionate and professional care for their loved one. For more about hospice care, Hospice of Michigan offers a wealth of information.
Care transitions are an integral part of the comprehensive services at Ganton’s Countryside. For more information about Countryside, please call Margaret Nagel at (517) 206-5000 or download our brochure to learn about our care levels, cost, and amenities.
