Preparing a Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease to Transition Out of Their Home

By Robert D. Liken CPC, CTS, President

August 26, 2016

Elder Care in Upper St. Clair PA

More than 5 million adults throughout the United States are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. If you are a family caregiver for one of these adults, you already know that this journey Elder-Care in-Upper-St.-Clair-PAcarries with it challenges and demands that are unlike those of caring for a senior without this condition. Managing these challenges and understanding their impact on tasks and events in your regular life as well as your care journey can help you to give your loved one the highest quality of care possible as they progress through the disease.
One of the challenges that you might face with your senior is the need to transition them out of their home. If their physical needs and cognitive limitations have gotten to the point where they are no longer safe and secure living in their original home, or they are no longer able to keep up with maintaining and caring for it, moving out can put them in an environment that is safer, more comfortable, and easier to manage as they age in place.
As with anything else in your care journey with a senior with Alzheimer’s disease, it is important that you plan carefully and work to prepare your parent ahead of time so that this transition is as smooth and stress-free as possible for everyone involved.
 
Use these tips to help you prepare a senior with Alzheimer’s disease to transition out of their home:

  • Talk about it. Ideally, the prospect of needing to move out of their home eventually would be something that you would discuss with your parent when they are still in the earlier stages of the disease so that they can help you to make confidence decisions. This will enable them to tell you their preferences and start making plans with you. If this is not an option, still take the time to talk to your parent about moving. Bring it up several times to reinforce the concept and to encourage them to start working through their emotions.
  • Prepare the new space first. Do not leave your parent in the strange limbo of having their old home packed up and their new home not quite ready for them. This can leave them feeling anxious and uncomfortable. Instead, prepare their new home for them as much as possible prior to packing everything up in their old home. Making their new space, whether it is another individual home or a space within your home, look familiar and comfortable will ease the transition and make your parent feel more in control.
  • Remind them of other moves. If your parent is having difficulty understanding what is happening, try to jog their memory about other moves that they have gone through in their life. Show them pictures and share memories and stories about these other transitions so that your parent can remember the experience and better grasp what is happening.

 
If your parent has recently begun their journey with Alzheimer’s disease, or their symptoms have increased to the point that you no longer feel as though you are able to give them all of the care, support, and assistance that they need, elder care may be the ideal solution. An elderly home care services provider can be with your parent on a schedule that works for your loved one and for you to provide a personalized approach to care tailored to meet their individual needs, challenges, and limitations in a way that promotes activity, independence, good mental and emotional health and wellbeing, and physical health and safety. When it comes to transitioning your loved one out of their home, this elderly home care services provider can be a source of support and encouragement that helps them to overcome their difficult emotions, as well as physical care that keeps them out of harm’s way and on track with their care throughout the process.
 

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Upper St. Clair, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Liken Home Care.  Call (412) 693-6820 or (855) 856-0551

 
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/caregivers/in-depth/alzheimers/art-20046610
http://www.alzfdn.org/AboutAlzheimers/statistics.html