If your parents, grandparents, or other older relatives have moved into a senior living community, you’ll want to visit them as often as possible. You’ll want to keep in touch and make sure that they are okay. These visits can also boost their mental health and help them to settle into the community while still feeling part of their family outside of it.
Nowadays, senior living communities are great places to visit. Your loved one will have friends, hobbies, and places to show you, and you can all have a lovely day together. You might even be able to stay over. But if they’ve recently moved in, you might be worried about taking your children to visit for the first time. Here are some tips to help you.
Make Sure They Know There’s Been a Change
Kids often listen in and know a lot more than we tell them. But if they’re just picking up bits of information, they might not know the full story. Sit them down before you visit and make sure they know that their relative has moved into a senior living home. Talk to them about what this means, and make sure they understand that they won’t be going to the house that they are used to visiting anymore.
Look Online
Senior living tends to be more than people, even adults, imagine. Your child is used to seeing their loved one in their home. They might find a community with things like restaurants hard to comprehend. Look online at Parc Provence together as an example and use it to answer any questions that they might have.
Talk to Them About What to Expect from Your Loved One
As our loved ones get older, they can start to have issues with memory and mobility. They can become frailer and might get tired easily. Or they might have more energy than ever since their move. If their health is declining, talk to your child beforehand so that they know what to expect.
Let Them Show and Tell
Older people absolutely love children. So, prepare your child for plenty of attention. Their relatives might be keen to show them off to their new friends. Let them enjoy this and encourage them to take things to show off and talk about. These could be certificates from school, things that they’ve made, or just toys that they love.
Take Games and Toys
Visits to relatives can get boring for children, so make sure you pack some toys and games for them to do. Try to find some things like board games that you can play together as a family, but also things that they can do on their own if they get bored, or the person that you are visiting needs a rest.
Visit Often
Visiting with your children often will help them to get used to the change, and seeing grandchildren often is great for older adults. Try to plan your next visit before you leave to give everyone something to look forward to.
Over time your children will start to look forward to their visits to their grandparents or other relatives. They’ll love all of the attention and the chance to show off. So, try not to worry too much, and just let them enjoy themselves.
