If your aging parents need help and essential care to help them live comfortably and enjoy their golden years, moving into assisted living can help.

However, starting the conversation with your elderly parents about moving into a senior independent living community can be uncomfortable. 

For some parents, moving into a senior independent living community can be very exciting while for others, the decision can be very stressful. How do you convince your parents to let go of the familiarity and the comfort of the home they have lived in for years and move into a senior living community? 

Just as with every life-changing decision that comes our way, the key to assisted living is preparation.

Be sure to talk to your parents and lay the groundwork for this possibility. It is also important to consult several senior living advisors before making any decision. If your parents currently reside in Bucks County, PA, you can consider this senior living campus NJ that provides a peaceful retired living community that will allow your aging parents to enjoy a renewed sense of fulfillment. 

Here are five tips you can use to prepare your aging parents for the senior independent living community.

1. Do Your Research

Start by doing your research. Google and contact all the available senior independent living communities in your area and ask them if they allow tours. Talk to your parents and ask them if they would be interested in taking a tour of a nearby independent living community. If they are interested, great, but if they are not, do not push them. Drop the subject and wait for another opportune moment to present itself. 

2. Take Tours

No amount of time spent going through pictures, reviews and referrals can substitute an actual tour to a senior independent living community. Whether you visit the community virtually or physically, a tour can help your parents get a feel of the actual environment and get a chance to ask all the questions. 

You can organize to take your parents to the community during dinner or when there is an activity they enjoy. If possible, visit the community more than once and take time to interact with the staff and other residents. This will make the transition to the community less stressful when the time comes. 

3. Address Your Parents’ Concerns Upfront

The decision to move into a senior independent living community is a big one. Make sure you involve your parents every step of the way. Address all your parents’ concerns and be patient with them. If your parents are worried about the loss of freedom and socialization with their neighbors, don’t trivialize it. Instead, proactively address all the issues they raise and if you are not in a position to answer all their questions, you can always talk to a representative at the nearby assisted living community. 

4. Give Your Parents Enough Time to Get Ready

Give your parents time to reflect and allow everything to sink in. It can be particularly difficult to part with old belongings and memories so be sure to give them enough time. The process can be extremely emotional and during this time, it is important to give them enough space to get ready. 

5. Highlight The Benefits

As you prepare your parents for senior independent living, don’t forget to highlight the benefits. Evaluate your parents’ needs and explain to them how assisted living will benefit them. 

For example, if your parents dislike household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and the hassles of keeping the garden tidy, you can highlight the fact that senior independent living allows them to forgo housework and spend their time doing what they love. Their meals will always be available in the dining area but if they occasionally want to cook, they can do so in the kitchenettes provided in some of the apartments. 

Gardening clubs, book clubs, and exercise clubs are also available in most senior independent living communities.

There is the freedom to be alone for as much time as they need but when they need company, they can always find it right outside their door. You understand your parents best; highlight the benefits you know they will enjoy the most.