Spring Arbor Living Blog

It is finally time to make the difficult decision that you have dreaded for so long. Your elderly parent or parents are not able to live in their own home anymore and they must move. Realize, while this will be challenging for you, it will be difficult for them to make the move. There are four very prevalent reasons or emotions that make it difficult for your aging parents to move out of their old house, and it is important for you understand where they are coming from and how they feel. When you understand their challenges and difficulties you will find it easier to relate to them and easier to talk to them about the move.  When you are able to talk and communicate about it, the entire process will be easier for you and your family.
 
Grief is a very strong emotion which is difficult to handle and is very common in seniors whenever they feel as though they are losing something that they value.  When an elderly parent has to go through losing what they have always thought of as their home, they will experience grief. They are not only moving away from their home, but also their neighborhood and many of their possessions that were a part of their lives for many years.

Of course they are also experiencing a loss of independence and control. As long as your mother and or father lived by themselves they were independent and had control over how they ran their lives. Inevitably they will feel anxiety over their perceived loss of that control when they move out of their homes, regardless of where they move too. This is very difficult for them to deal with, but once moved into an assisted living community, this emotion will pass more quickly.

All of this is very overwhelming. Moving, at any age, is one of the highest stressors. Inevitably it entails throwing things out, selling things, closing bank accounts and selling their home. Combined with all the other emotions, this gives them a sense of ‘where do I start?”

Understand and remember that this is not only hard on you and your family or siblings, but it is very hard on them as well. There are many reasons emotionally and physically why it is difficult and for elderly parents to move out of their house.  Once you understand the reasons you will be able to lessen the difficulties that your parents are experiencing.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink |