Moving Your Parents to Memory Care Assisted Living

Posted by Mandy Quinn on March 11th, 2019

How to cope with feelings of guilt

It can be incredibly rewarding to care for an aging parent at home but also incredibly stressful. Many family caregivers carry this role while also balancing work, children, and other obligations. Short-term respite care can help if the loved one is in the earlier stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, to give the caregiver a break.

But, at some point, a parent’s needs increase when living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, and their loved ones look to a memory care facility for help. Sometimes adult children and family caregivers come to terms with the fact that their loved one’s quality of life would be best if they moved to a memory care home.

Even though adult children know the move will support a parent living their best life, often the children feel guilty about being unable to provide the care and support needed. It can be tough to accept this new transition and cope with the feelings of doubt and guilt.

Ways to Overcome Guilt after a Loved One Moves to Memory Care Assisted Living

•    Housing that feels like home
•    Get involved with their community
•    Join a support group

Housing Designed to Feel Like Home

Find a residence that is designed to feel like your home. Based on Mayo Clinic research, The Cottages, with locations in Texas, are designed like a residence with a common formal living room, activity room, family style dining room and large backyard.  These town homes have their own dining room, kitchen, living room and resident hallway with anywhere from 8 – 12 apartments.  They are color-coded to help your loved one find their specific residence.

Community Involvement

Getting involved in your parent’s memory care assisted living community is the best way to see the benefits of your loved one’s new living arrangements. Volunteer to share talents, interests, or merely to visit with residents. Assisted living communities welcome volunteers to help residents in learning new talents, from music to crafts. The bonus: you get to spend extra quality time with your loved one and simultaneously learn more about their new community.

Support Groups

There are many online and in-person support groups for family caregivers. Often speaking and sharing with other caregivers will help you learn to cope with your guilt and doubt. These groups are filled with other caregivers who will be empathetic and understanding of your experiences. Online groups may be best for busy adult children. These online groups have chat rooms where you can join conversations at times convenient for you in the comfort of your home.

About the Author

The Cottages have been operating in Texas since 1997 and are family owned and operated by The Cottages Senior Living. The Cottages are state-of-the-art certified assisted living residences for people living with Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders.