“Clean out a room, change your schedule and your social life- Mom is moving in.”
Your mother has had a change of status and can no longer live alone. You think it is best that she move in with you because you just retired and have the time to care for her.
The desire and the passion to care for those we love sometimes pulls us to make decisions that can have a negative outcome to us and to our aging parent.
Before you decide to have a senior family member move in to your home, there are many facets to consider and organizations that can assist with the process. Do your homework, look at all the pros and cons before changing all of your lives. Is the decision going to add to the quality of life for all involved? Will it distract from what gives your life meaning or that of your parent?
Eldercare has a checklist of important items to think about before making such a decision. It you would like this checklist, send us your name and address and we will mail it out to you.
Intergenerational families can live together successfully but all parties must have their needs met and find peace in the arrangement. However, sometimes families just haven’t explored all the options first and make this decision without knowledge of our supportive services.
Kathleen Carroll says
July 22, 2011 at 3:33 pmPlease send the checklist on elders deciding to move in with family. My mother-in-law is 86 and living in an upscale retirement community for the past 5 years. She “hates it.” For the last couple of years she has talked about moving to a smaller apartment or moving to a small home in a neighborhood. We have told her she can live with us but she has declined. We’ve offered to look at smaller apartments in her present community. This is a repetitive topic of conversation and she always decides to stay where she is. All of her children agree that a move at her age would be too stressful. My husband and I are minutes away. We live on the east coast, her 3 other children are in Florida, Minnesota and Alaska. I think she is lonely for her family.
Kathleen Carroll says
July 22, 2011 at 3:33 pmPlease send the checklist on elders deciding to move in with family. My mother-in-law is 86 and living in an upscale retirement community for the past 5 years. She “hates it.” For the last couple of years she has talked about moving to a smaller apartment or moving to a small home in a neighborhood. We have told her she can live with us but she has declined. We’ve offered to look at smaller apartments in her present community. This is a repetitive topic of conversation and she always decides to stay where she is. All of her children agree that a move at her age would be too stressful. My husband and I are minutes away. We live on the east coast, her 3 other children are in Florida, Minnesota and Alaska. I think she is lonely for her family.