6 Tips to Help a Relative Adjust to Retirement Living

Moving into a retirement living facility can be a big change for many people. Some older people find it difficult to adjust to their new lifestyle. Here are a few things you can do to help them settle in.

1. Choose the Right Retirement Living Facility

The best way to help your older family member enjoy retirement living is to select the right facility to suit their needs. Check out what amenities the various options offer. Consider not only the current needs of your family member, but also the needs they are likely to have in the future. Moving to a different home can be disruptive, so it is important to choose the right facility from day one.

2. Help Them Personalise Their Space

Rooms or apartments in retirement living facilities can feel very bare and bland when someone first moves into them. Bring photos or artworks from your family member's home and help them to hang them on the walls.

3. Visit As Often As Possible

The best thing you can do to support your older family member is to be around as much as possible. Plan visits so your older relative does not feel abandoned.

4. Encourage Social Activities

Retirement living facilities offer older people a fantastic opportunity to connect with others in their own age group. Check out the clubs and activites on offer and encourage your loved one to go along. In this way, you can help them to make friends in their new environment.

5. Maintain Existing Connections

While they are sure to make new friends in their new home, it is not reasonable to expect your loved one to drop all their existing connections when they move into a retirement living facility. Help them maintain a wide social circle by driving them to the social clubs and events that they enjoy. You should also ensure that your family member can keep in touch with their friends via telephone or video call technology so they do not feel cut off.

6. Encourage Them to Stay Active

Physical activity is vital for maintaining the health of older people, so be sure to not let it cease when your loved one moves into a retirement living facility. Encourage them to take walks around the grounds, get involved in group exercise classes, or even carry out simple chair aerobics to keep their blood pumping and their body mobile.