How Long Could It Take a Senior to Prepare for a Move to Assisted Living?
Assisted Living Facilities in San Antonio TX: How Long Could It Take a Senior to Prepare for a Move to Assisted Living?
Everyone has their own pace at which they like to go. When a senior has agreed to move into assisted living, it can be simultaneously a nerve-racking experience and one ripe with excitement. Depending on the senior, his or her tendencies, and other factors, it could take a matter of days, weeks, or even months for them to actually get properly prepared for this move to a new environment.
Why could it take a long time?
Some seniors have gathered a lot of items over the years. If they have lived in the same house for decades, for example, they will likely have many items in the basement or attic, stored away, forgotten about, or even stuffed into closets.
It could take them a long time just to sift through all these boxes, open them up, pull items out, reminisce, and then figure out what they’re going to do with each particular thing.
Some items will have absolutely no monetary value, and the senior may not have anybody in mind who would like to take it, even if only for a memento. However, they could also have a number of family members or even friends who they’d like to reach out to and find out if they want any of these items.
It’s best to start as soon as possible.
Whether the senior is planning to move at the end of the month or in a couple of months, depending on how long it takes to get into a particular facility, they should start going through all of these items in their home as soon as possible. Even if the senior is in an apartment, recently having moved there because they thought this would be a better solution for them at this point in their life, and most items are in storage somewhere, they should begin figuring out what’s most important for them to take.
Each facility is different and will have various requirements about furniture, pictures on the walls, and other mementos, so find out exactly what is acceptable and begin sifting through everything as soon as possible.
The worst thing anyone can do is get into a situation when they suddenly feel rushed. Feeling rushed usually leads to regrets and if the senior is focused on the regrets about things they threw away or didn’t really pay attention to, they may focus on that instead of their new environment and that could lead to missed opportunities in discovering new activities and making new friends.
For more information about Pipestone Place Assisted Living in San Antonio, TX or to take a tour, call today (210) 718-0211.
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