Maintaining Familial Relationships When Elderly Parents Move to Assisted Living

At some point, many of us are faced with the prospect of our aging parents moving into an assisted living community. For some, this can mean living a little further away, and visits with family are less frequent. But maintaining strong bonds can help to improve quality of life, and strong familial relationships have countless benefits for grandparents and children. The good news is that, nowadays, it’s easier than ever to maintain contact, no matter how far away we live. 

Get Them Connected

Nowadays, maintaining contact from afar is easier than ever. Make sure your loved one is online and has a smartphone or tablet, but also that they are comfortable using things like video calls, and a messaging app so that you can stay in touch. If they are going to be online more, it’s also worth making sure they are aware of scams and dangers to look out for. 

Have a Video Call Schedule

Quick messages here and there are great for keeping lines of communication open, but nothing beats a nice long chat. Find a time when you can both be free every week for a scheduled catch-up. This way, you’ll never forget, never go too long without speaking face to face, and never be too rushed to talk properly. 

Visit Regularly

Elderly parents living in a community like Belmont Village in Coral Gables, FL have plenty of opportunities to welcome visitors and spend time with loved ones, as well as great locations to show off. They’ll also be keen to introduce you to new friends and show you some of their new hobbies and interests. Try to visit as often as you can and give yourself plenty of time to catch up without rushing off. 

Take the Kids

If you’ve got children, you might worry about taking them to an assisted living community to visit. But they’ll have a great time, and your parents will love getting to spend some quality time with them. 

Send Gifts and Cards

Younger people are very used to everything being digital or online. But for many, nothing will ever beat the joy of receiving something unexpected in the post. Send cards and gifts and encourage your children to write letters, or prepare pictures and crafts to send. This will make your loved one feel special and remind them of how much you all care. 

Make Plans Together

Having plans to look forward to can be great for improving mood and maintaining a relationship. Small things like visits and family days out are great, but if you can, booking a vacation together can be even better. 

Enjoy Activities Together, Apart

Digital communication means that we can enjoy things like movies, TV shows, and games together, without having to actually be together. Download games you can share online and try watching a boxset at the same time so that you’ve always got a reason to send a message. 

For the most part, maintaining relationships is easy if you get into good habits, like checking in and visiting often, and manage to stick to them. If you find that you haven’t had a good chat for a while, schedule a call and give yourself plenty of time.

This is a collaborative post