Don’t Feel Guilty, You’re Doing the Right Thing
You’ve just made one of the hardest decisions of your life regarding your parent’s care. Moving a loved one into assisted living is not easy for anyone involved. Change is hard: hard for caregivers and children, and definitely hard for seniors who may be giving up a home they’ve lived in most of their life. Many families will feel guilty about this decision, but when caregiving becomes unsafe or too difficult it’s absolutely necessary to move mom or dad into an environment that will address all of their care needs and security while affording them a meaningful quality of life. Although this guilty feeling is normal, our team of assisted living associates in Camden County is here to remind you of three major reasons why you’re doing the right thing for your loved one, as well as yourself.
1. Moving your loved one into assisted living doesn’t mean you abandoned them or failed. The main source of guilt comes from the “what if” type of questions you plague yourself with. What if I tried this treatment with Mom, could that have prolonged her independence at home? Did I give up too quickly on caring for her? Am I selfish? These questions are both unfair and untrue. You did not fail as a caregiver or abandon your loved one by asking for help. Part of being a good caregiver is realizing when the situation has escalated beyond your control. It is also fair to acknowledge that you have a right to your own life and an obligation to your own children that may be suffering. Relinquishing control and putting your loved one in the hands of an experienced care team is the smartest way to keep them safe and give you peace of mind while giving them the level of care they deserve. You could also choose an assisted living community that is close to where you live so you can still see your loved one often and ensure everyone caring for mom is on the same page with treatments.
2. Moving your loved one into assisted living prioritizes their health and safety. An assisted living community that offers rehabilitation, skilled nursing and memory care is well equipped to handle a wide range of senior health conditions. If your parent is showing signs of Alzheimer’s or they have serious mobility issues, living home alone could quickly become dangerous. A change in their living situation is necessary if they require 24-hour health and safety monitoring and a higher level of care. You definitely should not feel guilty about this because 24-hour monitoring and care is impossible for just one person to take on. At an assisted living community, there is a fully staffed team of professionals available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to care for your loved one.
3. Moving your loved one into assisted living prioritizes your own health. This change in your loved one’s living situation prioritizes your health as much as theirs. Being a full-time caregiver takes a mental and physical toll, especially if you don’t have help. As we mentioned earlier, it’s completely normal to second guess ourselves and feels guilty. However, you have to keep reminding yourself that every family’s situation is different, so it’s not fair to compare your situation to someone else’s. It’s also worth mentioning that the people around you who don’t help or don’t fully understand the situation are not qualified in the slightest to make judgments about this move. They say “ignorance is bliss,” so let the negative comments go in one ear and out the other.
Assisted living for seniors in Camden County NJ
At our assisted living community in Collingswood, associates are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to care for our senior residents. Whether they need help with daily tasks like dressing or meal preparation or need someone to listen to their concerns about transitioning to assisted living – our compassionate associates are here and ready to provide the level of care your loved one truly deserves.
To find out more about assisted living for seniors in Camden County NJ, please contact us today or visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org/collingswood/
