This was a statement I heard on a podcast (and so sorry, I wrote the quote down but not who said it) and it got me thinking about seniors care living and the communities they create.
When someone makes the decision to move their loved one into long term care, they are painfully aware of what their family is losing with this big life change: the way their life was before.
What isn’t apparent to them is this new community they are now a part of.
When I moved my husband Ty into long term care, I initially saw it as the place where I’d go to visit with him. I would build relationships with the staff in the context of his care. I would say hi to other family members but I didn’t see it as MY community. And I think that was a missed opportunity.
Long Term Care homes have a unique opportunity to invite new families into their community, which can also help to build resilience for those families. Anyone who has gone through the whirlwind of LTC placement knows it’s overwhelming, sad, frustrating and incredibly tiring. Families are all turned around and don’t know what they don’t know, other than feeling very alone and uncertain about how it’s all going to work.
I think it’s safe to say that most (if not all) of us are perhaps feeling less resilient than we’d like. And yet, here’s an opportunity to share the load a bit, and build resilience within your community – whether that’s in Seniors’ Care, your gym, your friend group or where you work.
Something to think about.
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