You already know that moving into one of the residential aged care homes is inevitable for your mum as she grows older. And while you already prepared her for that transition into retirement and especially in her new residence, your role doesn’t end there.

Here are four ways you can offer support to your mum in her new life in aged care:

  • Visit her as frequently as you can.

It doesn’t matter how far you live or how busy you get, always make time for visiting your mum in aged care. She may not be vocal about it, but she will surely appreciate you seeing her and making sure that she feels loved.

  • Update her with what’s going on in your family.

A lot of seniors in aged care feel isolated because they think that they don’t belong to the family anymore. But you don’t want your mum to feel that way, so you have to make sure that she is still updated with what’s going on in your family. Share with her updates about family events, milestones and just simple things that will make her feel that she still belongs. This will help boost her confidence knowing that she’s still an integral part of the family.

  • Give her as much independence and autonomy as possible.

Being the one who raised your family, your mum is used to having authority and making important decisions in your household. So when you take that away from her, she might easily feel stressed and depressed. Even if your mum is already in aged care, you can still give her as much independence and autonomy as possible. For instance, you can allow her to follow her daily routine with some adjustments to adapt to her condition. You should also respect her privacy while still being supportive of her interests. For instance, you can let her choose the clothes she wants whenever you go shopping or the food she wants to eat as long as it’s within her diet.

  • Engage in meaningful conversations.

Being in aged care means that your mum misses you a lot, especially because she’s used to having you around as her family. So whenever you visit her, don’t just be there to see her. Try to engage in meaningful conversations that allow her to feel like herself again. The transition to aged care can be extra difficult for seniors since they’re moving into a completely new environment with people they don’t know. So engaging in these meaningful conversations will give them a sense of normalcy.

Of course, you also need to be involved in the care of your mum. Build a good relationship with the team that cares for her, communicate with them regularly, and make sure that they also feel valued. In the end, taking care of a loved one in a residential aged care home always requires teamwork. So make sure that you play an active role in giving your mum the best quality of life.