Helping Your Kids Cope with a Nursing Home

As you get older, you are probably going through many changes. One change that you might not expect is the switch from providing for and taking care of your children, to having them take care of you. Even if you are getting financial help from your kids, or if they are helping you make decisions about your care, it is still natural for you to want to protect them. If your family has decided that it is best for you to move to a nursing home, this might be a difficult transition for you. However, it is important to remember that this will also be a difficult transition for your children. They will worry about you and wonder if you’ve made the right decision. In order to help your children through this change and remain positive yourself, you can consider the following tips.

Get Excited About the Move

By showing your children that you feel excited for this phase in your life, it will improve your spirits and put their minds at ease. Pick out your favorite things about the nursing home and share these with your children. This will help your family learn more about the nursing home and feel confident in the decision that you’ve made.

Move In with the Help of Your Children

By making this a family affair, your children can see how nice the nursing home is and get used to the idea of you living here.

Contact Your Children Regularly

It can be difficult to live away from your family. The fact that you are now in a nursing home can be hard for both you and your children. By making an effort to call your children on a regular basis, you can maintain your relationship. In addition, you can focus on the positives of the nursing home during these conversations. This will show your children that you are having a good time, making friends, and adjusting to this new situation.

Encourage Your Children to Visit

Talking on the phone or keeping in touch through email is great. But, it will benefit both you and your children for them to visit you in the nursing home. This will give your children a firsthand account of the nursing home, its strengths, and its weaknesses. A visit from family can lift your spirits and help your whole family adjust to this new situation. When your children see that you are happy, it will make this experience easier for them.

While staying positive can help your family adjust to your life in a nursing home, it is important not to overlook important issues in the nursing home. If you feel that you are being neglected or abused by the nursing home staff members, you need to talk to your family. Your family might choose to talk to a nursing home neglect and abuse attorney if your situation is serious.