Do you feel like you’re ready to have the talk with your elderly loved one? It is never easy to suggest moving a parent into assisted living, yet there comes a time when it could be necessary. 

Whether your loved one is dealing with a chronic illness, suffering from close calls, lives far away, or has difficulties completing daily tasks, moving them into assisted living can help bring you some peace of mind. 

The real issue is bringing up the topic and convincing a parent or loved one that moving is what is best for them. They might feel like they’re losing out on some independence, or they’re getting older. 

Be sure to keep reading for our guide on how to talk to an elderly parent about assisted living. 

Start the Discussion

The best way to get started with figuring out how to convince someone to go into assisted living is by starting the discussion. Once you start the conversation about assisted living don’t drop it. You will want to talk about it over time and not all at once. 

Bring up the subject to your elderly loved one and see how they react. If it is a good reaction, you can go into more detail. Yet, if it isn’t the reaction you were hoping for, wait to talk about it again in the future. 

You won’t get any results unless you try, so don’t be afraid to start the discussion. 

When you do talk about assisted living to them be sure to mention great points. You can talk about how an assisted living will help them complete tasks that they struggle with each day and make their lives easier. 

You’ll find that mentioning assisted living over time will make the discussion and final push easier.

Be Prepared For Emotions

When you’re thinking of how to convince a parent to go to a nursing home, you need to be prepared for any emotions they might be going through. No one is ready to admit that they need help and they’re getting older. 

Be sure to give your parents time to adjust and feel each of their emotions.

You should also be there to listen to them if they want to vent about the situation. Make sure that you’re listening to their concerns as they are valid. 

Don’t Do It Alone

If you have siblings or other family members, try to get them involved in the conversation. Once you’ve mentioned it to your parents, get more people involved in the conversation. 

Having a group meeting can be the final push that your parents need to agree to move to assisted living. 

When you have more than one person that is talking to them about it, they might want to listen more. It won’t feel like it is only coming from one person, but rather everyone feels like they could benefit. 

Show Them a Digital Tour

If you’re trying to figure out how to convince someone to go to a nursing home or assisted living, one of the best things to do is show them a digital tour.

One reason they might be against the idea of moving is that they aren’t sure of what to expect. Many people have seen what nursing homes and assisted living facilities are like from movies, but you’ll find that they’re much different in real life. 

An online digital tour can help to show them what an assisted living facility is truly like instead of them imagining it. They will be able to see rooms, community areas, laundry facilities, kitchens, and so much more. 

When elderly parents get to see it for themselves, they will be more likely to agree to make the move. 

Talk About Amenities

Once you’ve shown them around the place, another way for you to learn how to convince a parent to go to assisted living is by talking with them about the amenities. Doing your research and letting them know all the great amenities the assisted living home will have can be a good way to persuade an elderly parent. 

For example, many elderly people don’t get the chance to get exercise. An assisted living facility can have an exercise room with the proper equipment and care that they will need to do exercise whenever they want.

Another great perk is having a theatre room or beautiful gardens. These are awesome ways to spend their time so they won’t be bored. 

You’ll find that by bringing up the amenities an assisted living facility has to offer, you can help to convince your elderly parents to move. 

It Is Their Decision

When talking to elderly parents about moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility, you need to make sure that you don’t act as the decision has already been made. Instead, you need to let them believe it is their decision. 

The best way to do this is by doing tons of research and laying it all out in front of them. You can tell them all the assisted living benefits and show them around on a tour to help make up their mind. 

Yet, talking to them as if your mind is already made up can make them feel like their independence is already being taken away. Make it be your number one priority that they must decide to make the final decision. 

You’ll find it is much easier to convince elderly parents to move to assisted living if it is their idea. 

Talking to an Elderly Parent About Assisted Living

If you’re trying to talk to an elderly parent about moving to assisted living, be sure to use our tips to get started. There are ways to bring up the conversation and begin convincing the person you love that it is a good idea and will help them out. 

Once your elderly parent is finally ready to make the move, we have you covered. You can check out our floor plans and we can walk you through all the steps to get started.