5 Tips for Talking to Your Parents About Their Senior Living Options

While it’s never an easy conversation, discussing senior living options with your parents can help them live life to the fullest while also ensuring their safety. With a little bit of preparation, you may find the discussion goes a lot better than you ever expected. Here are five tips on how to talk to your parents about assisted living, independent living, and any of the other senior living options that might work for them.  

1. Education Yourself First

You can’t help your parents make an informed choice for their future if you’re not armed with accurate, up-to-date information. Start by making a list of all of the senior living options in the area you’re considering — and then check out their websites to see what levels of care they offer. Monroe Village, for example, offers independent living and assisted living, as well as memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing. 

Once you narrow your list down by looking at websites, it’s time to pick up the phone to find out more about both pricing and availability. You don’t want to take your top senior living options to your parents, for example, only to find out that there is a lengthy waiting list. (Check out this article to learn more about financing options.)

2. Honestly Assess Your Parents’ Situation

Another way to get ready for your talk with your parents about their senior living options is to create a list of challenges you think they may be facing. Are they having trouble with the demands of daily living? Can they navigate any steps they may have? Are the bathrooms set up with safety in mind? Do they have trouble managing health challenges? Talk to other family members who know your parents well and see if they have any additional thoughts to add. Make a list and have it handy when meeting with your parents about all of the different living options for seniors. 

3. Present the Positives

Your parents may have memories of visiting older relatives in what they used to call “nursing homes.” And they were often sterile-feeling places that offered only basic services. The truth is that today’s top senior living options are pretty much the opposite of that. Far from being a place you go when you’re out of options, they are modern, cheerful places where you can get more out of life. Would your parents enjoy visiting the day spa before meeting friends for dinner? How about a quiet morning getting coffee to sip while perusing the new offerings at the library? Show them the activities calendar, which lists all of the events and outings available at a place like Monroe Village. They may be surprised — and excited by — all of the options for socializing, learning, exercising, and just enjoying life. 

If you recently lost one of your parents, looking at the bright side can be difficult, if not impossible for your mom or dad to do. It could be helpful to point out that many senior living communities embrace “solo” seniors, providing much-needed opportunities to meet new people and enjoy life differently.

4. Have a List of Conversation Starters

Asking your parents if they’ve considered their options for senior living isn’t much of a conversation starter. Instead, ask more open-ended questions like these:

• Is it ever difficult to manage the steps to the bedroom or keep up with the house or yard? 
• Is driving becoming more difficult? Would you socialize more if you didn’t have to worry about driving, especially at night?  
• Would your life be easier and more fun if you had less to manage and take care of?
• Would you like to have more interesting experiences, such as enjoying musical performances, playing cards, attending lectures, creating art, etc?

5. Be a Good Listener

When the time comes to meet with your parents about their options for senior living, arrange to have the conversation in person, if possible, and at a time when everyone is feeling relaxed and not rushed. While you certainly want to be empathetic, remember that nobody wants to feel pitied, especially by their son or daughter. Once you calmly and clearly outline your concerns, as well as possible solutions, be ready to listen. Give your parents time to digest all of the information you’ve given them — and don’t pressure them to decide anything immediately. What you can do, however, is ask them if they’d like any more information on any of the senior living options you just discussed. 

6. Offer to Arrange a Visit to Their Top Options for Senior Living

After giving your parents some time to process everything you discussed, ask if they’d like to visit any of their top senior living options to see for themselves what they have to offer. At Monroe Village, for example, it just takes a minute to schedule a tour to see the campus, talk with residents, and even enjoy a meal. 

What Life Looks Like at Monroe Village

The best way to learn more about Monroe Village is to visit us. Monroe Village is a Life Plan Community in New Jersey focused on a healthy and active lifestyle. With events and amenities offered through LivWell, our holistic wellness program, you can boost your health while being a part of a vibrant community. Check out our services and amenities to see all of the other options each day brings from pickleball games and balance classes to movie nights and wine tastings. Contact us today to learn more.