Are you considering shifting your loved ones to an assisted living community in Florida? After all, if you are your loved ones’ primary caretaker, there may come a moment when their physical, emotional, and medical requirements will be too much for you to manage by yourself.
Assisted living communities can also provide a wealth of advantages for your loved ones, including a significantly better standard of living. With that said, it may be challenging and stressful to bring up the subject of moving into the assisted living community in Florida with your parents or your loved ones.
The following are some suggestions on how to approach the subject and tips on how to hold that family meeting.
Start Meetings As Soon As Possible
For the best results, you should start talking about the plans as soon as you can. Planning ahead can make a significant change. Therefore, start holding frequent family meetings with your parents, siblings, and any additional caregivers, such as a family friend, neighbor, or hired caregiver, as soon as your parent starts facing health issues or difficulty with everyday tasks. You could consider using platforms such as Skype to connect with an individual who lives elsewhere.
Involve Your Loved Ones
Involve your loved ones as much as you can in the family gathering because the objective is to have everyone on the same page in favor of the senior with regard to their care and quality of life.
You should not try to take charge and make all the choices by yourself, even if you desire to do what is best for your parents. By letting them take the lead or make decisions, it allows them to maintain their freedom. Invite your loved ones to go with you on tours of assisted living communities or to see friends and family who have already made the change if they are healthy enough.
Come Up with a Schedule
Nobody likes to engage in a family meeting if everyone’s time is wasted, and your loved ones may get off the subject which is the last thing you need. Therefore, coming up with an effective agenda establishes clear guidelines for what must happen prior to and during a meeting.
Work with all family members beforehand to develop the meeting’s agenda, whether there are specific concerns to address, details to offer, or opinions to express. The discussions on the agenda could include:
- A parent’s desires and requirements
- The primary decision maker
- What each individual can contribute
- What assistance the main caregiver need
- Tasks that must be completed
Be Mindful of Your Language
It will be challenging to have a productive or successful conversation if you are agitated and impatient. Encourage your family members to make use of more I-statements rather than you-statements.
An example would be saying “I need” instead of using “You should”. You should also plan out what you are going to say in advance as it helps you put out a clearer message. Furthermore, do not be hesitant to communicate.
Encouraging your loved ones to speak up and use more words is also another way to enhance communication. Overall, communication and stating what you mean honestly are key.
