When to Make the Move Closer to Your Older Loved One

Caring for a senior loved one is a journey with challenging forks along the road. Do you move your senior closer to you? Is assisted living an option? Or should you give up your job, community, and comfort to ensure their quality of life? Chances are, you’re weighing all the options seriously.

While no one can make your decision for you, at Artesia Christian Home, we’re here to make your job easier. If you’ve been considering making a move to be closer to a senior loved one, here are the questions to ask yourself to make caregiving easy and seamless.

What Kind of Care Does Your Loved One Need?

Perhaps the health of your loved one is deteriorating, or you would feel more comfortable if they were in a safe and friendly environment. Or maybe you feel like their home isn’t set up to provide care for their needs. Either way - you have a couple of options here. You could try in-home care, which can ease the daily burdens of eating, changing, and running errands. On the other hand, moving closer is the way to go if your loved one needs emotional support. But if your aged one has difficulty getting out of bed, walking, or remembering prescriptions, there isn’t much your presence alone can do. In such cases, we advise checking into a home that will support these requirements - while you’re accessible close by for support and comfort.

How Can I Ease the Moving Process?

According to Seniors Matter, seniors are people of habit and routine. To ensure their comfort, you’ll need to take care of all the moving parts so that this difficult transition is eased up. For example, when you’re decluttering, be sure to retain some essential memorabilia and sentimental keepsakes. This will keep your loved one rooted and reassured. Another must-do is to hire professional movers who can help with furniture moving for more oversized items. Evaluate companies by reading online reviews and testimonials, and then connect with shortlisted companies to get a quote. Remember, many companies offer senior-specialized moves, as well as deals and credits to ease the financial burden.

What Are the Main Reasons to Move?

Be sure of your motives before the big move. For example, dementia and other progressive illnesses can make independent and semi-independent living almost impossible. Nor should your move be a way to assuage guilt! You’ll be taking on the majority of the change, so make sure you’re mentally equipped: after all, your support and care will be much diminished if you’re stressed and unhappy!

In such a case, why not begin with long-distance care and increase support if needed? Today’s technological world provides a plethora of video chatting, smart living, and assisted living options. Be sure to get the technology installed in your loved ones’ homes, so they’re not trying to figure it out all by themselves!

What Kind of Care Does Your Loved One Need?

This is the ultimate question to consider. According to Home Care Assistance, it is easy for loved ones to assume the needs of seniors and make decisions on their behalf. You may think you know better, but it is always best if you can consult with your loved ones to see what they prefer. Honor their desires, and respect their wishes - even if it’s challenging to do so. This might also relieve some of the (natural) guilt you’re feeling about the upcoming move.

Wondering if you’ll regret moving closer to your loved one? We can tell you that we see families move closer to their aged family, and it is usually a great decision to spend precious time with loved ones. And remember - moving isn’t losing freedom, but rather, gaining freedom to live worry-free.

Artesia Christian Home is a non-profit retirement community that prides itself on its top-quality care. We prioritize family living values and compassionate care for people from all walks of life. Be sure to check out our living options here or contact us at 562-865-5218 for more information!

by Hazel Bridges