Ask Helen

Adjustment – And How ToGet There

BY Helen Shaham

Q.We have recently moved mymother into an assisted livingcommunity but she has not yetadjusted. How long does thistransition usually take, and howcan we be sure she will take to hernew environment?

A.Normally it takes anywherebetween 14 to 21 days for an alertresident to adjust after moving to anassisted living community. If yourmother is paired with other residents who share similar lifestyleinterests and is in a similar cognitive mental state to her peers,she should be well on her way toacclimating to her new surroundings.

Communities often go to greatlengths to socialize new residentswith orientation programs, assigning them an adoptive manager and keeping them busy inthe first couple of weeks. The community may also ask you toavoid calling in the beginning togive your mom a physical and emotional break. If all these measure are in place but you don’tyet see results, give it a bit moretime.

To speed up the adjustment processand help your mother settle in, itmight be a good idea to provide thecommunity director with a list ofher likes and dislikes. This can bedistributed among the staff thattends to her needs on a daily basis.This way, your mother will feelcomfortable that the employees relate to her and want her to behappy. Bring memorabilia fromhome to create a familiar setting,and detract her from all the novelty.

Referring your mother to a staffpsychologist is another way of addressing her adjustment issues.They are trained to address precisely these concerns and oftenbring family members in on themeetings so all parties are keptabreast of your mother’s progress.Additionally, a psychologist can detect deeper rooted issues, if thereare any, such as depression or withdrawal.

Remember, family members areoften the ones who have a hardertime coping with the change. Recognize who is having the adjustment issues. Be patient, be attuned to your own feelings of losing control and missing yourmother, and don’t be afraid to askthe community for assistance.

Helen Shaham and her husbandJacob have been operatingretirement communities for nearly30 years. The Palace Suites inKendall is a luxury IndependentLiving Community for activeseniors. In addition, The Palace atKendall campus is home to twoAssisted Living Residences and aNursing & Rehab Center. They alsooperate The Palace Gardens ssistedLiving Community in Homestead,Homestead Manor Nursing Homeand The Palace @ Home, aMedicare Certified Home HealthAgency. Their two newest projectsare The Palace at Weston – luxuryliving for those 55 and over, andThe Palace Tel-Aviv, a continuingcare retirement community in Israel.They have two communities underdevelopment – The Palace at WestonSenior Living and The Palace atCoral Gables. More information canbe found on the company website,www.thepalace.org or by calling 305-270-7000.