While many people of the elderly population are staying at home or aging in a place, as we call it, many seniors need assisted living. Moving into assisted living facilities can be difficult, so it is vital to make the transitions as smooth as possible. Trying to ease the transition means the difference between them feeling comfortable and having to adjust painfully. Below are ways you can make a smooth transition to assisted living.

1. Don’t do it alone.

When moving your elderly parents to an assisted living facility, ensure you don’t do it alone. Try to consult with your immediate family and other relatives to make the transition as smooth as possible. Doing this will help the elderly not be left with the feeling that they have been neglected or abandoned by their family. It is commonly said that it takes a village to raise a child, and it also takes that much effort to support a senior with assisted living. Calling or getting your relatives involved helps build a network of people to help your elderly parents with assisted living.

2. Let them know it’s hard.

Making the transition from living at home to assisted living is not easy, and pretending that it is easy does not help in the long run. Letting them know the challenges of the transition is essential, as communication helps to make things easier. A challenge for you may be that you won’t always be available for their basic day-to-day activities, but communicating with them can help you figure out ways to bridge that gap while still allowing them with assisted living. The transition to assisted living with hospice care can be scary for the elderly, especially as they feel that they will be emotionally alone. Having conversations with them about the struggles can help dispel these fears and let them know that they are not alone.

3. Visit them

When your parents or elderly relatives are moved to an assisted living facility, they may feel isolated and abandoned because they have grown accustomed to having you around. This feeling can be difficult if you are not by their side when they need you. One way of making a smooth transition is to map a visiting schedule where they would have to anticipate your presence. This schedule can give them a sense of certainty and anticipation of your company for them not to feel lonely. Engaging in fun activities with them can also help make the visits memorable for them. Activities that they enjoy can help to make the transition smooth for them.

4. Surround them with their things

Many older people like to age in place in their homes instead of hospices because it provides them with familiarity, comfort, stability, and safety. Transitioning to assisted living facilities can be smoother for seniors if they are surrounded by their favorite things like blankets, pillows, or memorable objects they have had with them for so many years. Having their favorite things can give them a sense of familiarity and help the transition easier for them.

5. Don’t Include too many new things.

Like the previous point, it is important not to load them with too many new things. They may need some new items for their environmental change, but too many new things may leave them feeling odd or strange, especially as they have no attachment to those things. Starting small and slow is usually better as it gives them time to adjust to assisted living.