Mom Wont Participate!

Q: Six months ago we placed my mother in an assisted living facility. She gets along fairly well, but we thought she would get involved with all of the activities. Instead she complains that she is very lonely, and won't participate. Do you have any suggestions?

A: There may be a number of reasons your mother doesn't participate in the actives offered.

You may want to step back a bit and assess your mother's situation. Ask yourself a few of these questions

1. What kind of activities has my mother always enjoyed doing?

2. Does my mother enjoy social gatherings now?

3. Does my mother enjoy a one on one visit?

4. Are there health factors present now that keeps her from enjoying group activities?

5. Before my mother needed assistance with activities of daily living was she a homebody or a social butterfly?

When determining what kind of facility your loved is best suited for those 5 questions should be asked. Often times, we as family members think that all sorts of activities would be good for our lonely senior. But, if group activities have not been a part of their lifestyle, it may be hard for them to just jump in a do the activities.

Your mom may just be a slow starter. One thing you might try is scheduling time to go in and participate in a few activities with your mom. This might help her feel more comfortable. If this is the case she will soon be attending activities on her own.

If however she still wishes to remain in her room, and still complains that she is lonely, you may wish to consider further investigation. Perhaps consulting with a neutral, long-term care advisor would be beneficial. I would suggest speaking with someone who is not interested in keeping your mom in their facility at all costs.

While these suggestions are not exhaustive, they will give you a place to begin.

Renee "Dutchy" Reeves is an Elder Care Consultant with over 10 years of working with the elderly and their families. Her online advice column, "Ask Dutchy" provides practical ideas and advice for assisting the elderly with Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Parkinson's, disability, and those needing long term care. See other articles by her at http://www.askdutchy.mycarelink.net

---

Helping Caregivers Get Comfortable Asking For Help

Becoming a care giver might not have been a conscious... Read More

Exercise Walking For Seniors: Preventing Foot Problems

Exercise has a very important role in the general health... Read More

Assisted Living Facilities ? What Are They?

Assisted Living facilities are generally for person's 60 years of... Read More

Second Hand Stair Lifts

Buying second hand stair lifts is a viable and cost... Read More

Introducing the Best Available Long Term Care Policy Guarantee

If you're 60 to 70 years old ... or have... Read More

Solitary Confinement -- for Life

Sixty-five year old Arthur Jones served a self-imposed life sentence... Read More

Respiratory Help Is Available For Seniors With COPD

As HMOs Continue to Drop Coverage for Seniors - Now... Read More

What Most Long Term Care Professionals Don?t Know

Medicare recognizes this need and, therefore reimburses your residents to... Read More

Arizona Assisted Living Homes -- The Alternative to High Priced Senior Care

The cost of skilled nursing care is slowly rising. Currently,... Read More

Hinged Rail Stair Lifts

If a door at the top or the bottom of... Read More

Local Businesses Serving Seniors Prove Commitment to Quality Care

Good news! You no longer have to risk chance when... Read More

Baby Boomers: Will They Be Able to Afford Their Parents?

Do you worry about whether your aging parents have their... Read More

Marketing, Selling, and Serving the Older Adult, Senior Citizens, Family Caregivers

Are your clients pleased by the fine quality service that... Read More

Honey, Where Are The Car Keys?

Q: My mother is always losing, hiding and hoarding things,... Read More

Paying For Elder Care Just Got Easier

It's not a surprise that thousands of families across the... Read More

What Colour was Your Great-grandmothers Hair?

I've just made another Photoshop video. This one is about... Read More

Scaling Down (almost) Painlessly

Moving to a smaller house or apartment in a retirement... Read More

Compare Nursing Homes

Finding the best nursing home is easier than you might... Read More

Advocate For Senior Citizens ? Protecting Against Abuse and Fraud

Ruth is 87 years old this year and has been... Read More

Assisted Living: Tips on How to Choose a Facility

It is easy to be fooled by fancy drapery or... Read More

Board and Care Homes ? What Are They?

Board and Care homes (also known as RCFE's - Residential... Read More

Scaling Down (Almost) Painlessly

Moving to a smaller house or apartment in a retirement... Read More

New Hope for Alzheimers Treatment

There is now widespread agreement among research scientists and medical... Read More

The Truth About Christmas

Every year, as Christmas approaches, you hear Christmas carols everywhere.... Read More

As the Baby Boomers Age

Many employees today are calling in sick - not to... Read More

What You Need to Know About Helping Senior Citizens

IntroductionThe baby boomers is the population which haven taken birth... Read More

Senior Care for Alzheimer?s

As a person ages, a certain amount of memory loss... Read More

The Golden Years

1) What does Adrian Mitchell say we do to people... Read More

Caregiving Across The Miles?Tips for Successful Long Distance Caregiving

Caring for a parent or a loved one is a... Read More

10 Tips to Keep a Family Caregiver from Losing Their Mind

Caring full time for a loved one can be a... Read More

Review of the Changing Protein Requirements for Seniors

Youth, it is said, is wasted on the young. Too... Read More

Stair Lift Buying Guide

There is no doubt that having a stair lift in... Read More

Stair Lifts - Straight and Curved Rails

There are two types of stairlift. Straight and curved. The... Read More