Staying Connected with an Aging Parent at Assisted Living
Communication options today are abundant. We can send a quick text to an elderly parent, friend, or cousin we haven’t seen in years. We can check in on them with a simple, ‘How you doing?’
They can text back. We don’t have to actually devote much time to communicating with people, but just because we can stay connected with others doesn’t mean we’re actually “connected.” Connection is more than just going through the motions.
It’s about an emotional response, giving that person the idea they really matter to us, not just for what they can give us, offer us, or have done for us in the past, but because we truly care about them.
Many people get caught up in their own lives to the point they neglect staying in close contact with the people who matter most to them. Parents understand this, especially when their children are starting their own lives, building their careers, raising their own family, and so on.
The greater the physical distance between people, the more important staying connected becomes. And, when seniors reach retirement age and begin struggling with various tasks around the house, they may turn to assisted living as an option.
This is when it’s critical to remain “connected.”
A quick phone call every month or two may seem decent enough on the surface, especially if you don’t live very close to that aging parent or grandparent, but is that really enough?
One form of communication that has drifted by the wayside, giving way to technology, has been writing letters. There’s so much that can be said in a letter beyond just words.
April is National Card and Letter Writing Month and it’s a perfect opportunity to sit down and compose a handwritten letter to a person in your family, somebody you love, who may be transitioning to assisted living or has been at one of these facilities for some time.
Why writing letters is such a good idea.
It requires time and devotion. Unlike a quick text or phone call, a person has to make a commitment to sit down and write a letter. It requires effort.
Plus, because it takes time to scroll out each word, a person is going to think carefully about what they say. While a person may be able to type at 80 words a minute or more, shooting off an email or text very quickly, they might only hand write at about 20 words a minute.
So, as you can see, this form of communication is not only old-fashioned, it is also valuable. Aging seniors at assisted living will likely treasure these cards and letters far more than a quick text or email and that is saying something considering the volume of texts, emails, and five-minute phone calls that are sent out every day across the country.
For more information about senior housing in Hollywood Park, TX, contact Pipestone Place Assisted Living or to take a tour, call today (210) 718-0211.
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