Accepting A Changing Loved One

One of the hardest things we face at Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home is helping a family member to accept that their loved one is changing. Each day they might change, are not themselves, are getting farther and farther away from who they knew them to be. It can be a real challenge to accept the new person they are becoming.

We all love our friends and family, so when something affects their ability to function the way they normally did, it can change someone. This can be during the process of losing their independence, and moving into a new home or lifestyle, or can be something health related.

When someone’s body starts to slow down it can be challenging to accept that they can’t walk as far, don’t know how to take care of themselves, or remember simple things like taking their medications, putting on clean clothes, or tasks we might think are obvious. Especially with dementia and Alzheimer’s, your loved one can seem normal in one moment, but then switch to being really confused, passionate that they know what’s right when it’s not and can forget important people or facts over time. These moments are the hardest for families to accept.

It can be frustrating to see someone you love and respect start to decline or not be able to hold up their normal personality or habits. Moments like this can bring up a lot of emotions for the family and their loved ones. You can experience things like anger, despair, and sadness in losing the person you once knew before this moment. We want you to know that these emotions and feelings you are having are real and normal.

At Fairbrook Grove Assisted Living Home, we strive to help our families and residents have peace as things are changing. We realize that it’s painful to see your loved one change and become more dependent or sick from a disease or old age. We try to explain the process and changes that come with each situation and hope to be there to help support the residents and their families during each transition and change of health or behavior.

If your loved one is getting older and currently going through a transition, know that we understand, and everything will be ok. We will do the best we can to be there for everyone involved and hope to make this time of life a good experience.

The Fairbrook Grove Management Team