One of the most traumatizing events of your adult life can be the overwhelming feelings of placing your elderly parent into a nursing care facility. This is an individual who cared for you and protected you while growing up. Your relationship may have matured beyond the parent-child trust to one of friendship as you grew older, and now you are forced to find them the care they need once they are in their autumn years.
What can you do to make this transition go as smoothly as possible for both you and your parent?
This decision to have your parent enter a nursing home should not be taken lightly. Most people do not enter a nursing home because they want to; it is because they have to. If there is any way that you can ensure the safety and benefit of your parent staying in their home (even with outside help), you should consider that as your first option. However, if there is no other choice, then you must come to terms with the decision.
Make sure that your parents, siblings, and other family members are involved with the decision. While there are those who will be abject to the decision, your parent’s safety and health are paramount to their feelings. Discuss the choices, ensure that someone can visit with the parent often, and make sure that the parent is comfortable with the living environment.
Another option to look at is having a professional involved with your decision. While your focus will be on the mental and physical health of your parent, don’t neglect the mental health of the family. It might be a wise decision to have a group counselor talk with everyone involved to answer the questions they may have and to diminish any fears that may arise. For this reason, you should contact an Elder Law attorney to see what can be done to make this transition as comfortable as possible.
Contact the Kabb Law Firm today at www.kabblaw.com or 216-991-5222
