Communication is key for anyone living in an assisted living facility! Maintaining communication with your loved one is as easy as 1, 2, 3! From visits to the facility, to phone calls, to even texts and emails, communicating with your loved one while they’re with us is a breeze! There are so many ways one can keep their relationships alive after their loved one has moved into an assisted living facility. Here, we’ll go over a few ways to communicate when you have a busy schedule!
Physical visits
Of course, nothing beats coming to our home and just hanging out with your loved one for a little while. In fact, we encourage it! Studies have shown that residents with frequent visitors have a higher quality of life as opposed to those that may not have as many visitors. Showing you care by visiting and just spending time is one of the many ways a family member can still be involved with their loved one’s care. Visits can be especially important for those that have dementia. Familiarity is very important when one is experiencing memory loss. It can be scary to have to move to a new place and it can be very hard to adjust when you’re not sure who you’re talking to or why exactly you’re in this strange place. Seeing you may help your loved one feel safe and secure during a stressful transition. Visits greatly increase patient outcomes and they have the added benefit of you being able to be a better advocate of your loved one’s care and health. It’s good practice to communicate your visit with the facility. This way, they can let you know the best times to come in (such as morning, afternoon or after a meal or therapy appointment). A visit can be as long as you wish, we just ask you to keep your loved one’s health in mind; if they’re tired, it may be good to let them rest. If you’re interested in taking your loved one out for the day, make sure you check with their respected facility regarding their policies regarding outings.
But…
What happens when one isn’t able to make frequent visits? How can we help maintain the relationship we have with our loved one when we’re not able to physically be there? Below are some other options:
Video Calls
The onset of COVID-19 changed a lot of things pertaining to visiting those in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospitals. There were plenty of creative ways to visit loved ones (like window visits), but the staple among many communities was the amazing video call. Using iPads, residents were able to FaceTime with their loved ones. It’s not the same as being able to be in the room, but it sure does help to see a familiar face during a trying time. You don’t need an iPad to make video calls either – apps like Zoom and Skype are available. Most modern smartphones can handle these apps, and of course computers can handle them as well.
Nothing beats seeing a familiar face! A video call can work in a pinch when you’re not able to make the trip to the facility. If you don’t have an iPad or other tablet to give, be sure to check with the facility to see if this particular communication option is available. It can be challenging to set it up on both ends, but once it’s done, a quick video call can take less than 10 minutes of your time, and you have the added benefit of being able to see your loved one’s face while talking to them!
Phone Calls
Phone calls are another way to communicate with your loved one. Whether it’s a personal cell phone or calling the facility, hearing your voice can be enough to make your loved one’s day a little brighter. Calling to check in or just to say hello can have an insurmountable impact on your loved one’s outcome. It offers them the chance to connect with you while they’re in a different environment. It’s an easy way to let them know you love and care about them, and it can take less than 5 minutes of your time to do! We are always happy to help our residents make phone calls on our phone or their personal cell phone!
Text Messages
If your loved one is tech savvy, a text message can be a great way to let them know you’re thinking of them! They can take less than a minute to send, making them perfect for those on the go. They can also be a more discreet way of communicating if that is preferred. Modern smartphones can send other images too, such as emojis, .gifs, and pictures to help communicate and keep your loved one in the loop. The ability to send pictures is a very useful tool – imagine how wonderful your loved one would feel if they received a picture of the family at the next get-together! You can also use texts to keep your loved one informed of small things going on in life. This helps your loved one feel as if they are still a cherished member of the family, in the loop on the goings on, and is still involved in the lives of those they love most.
Emails
When we think of communication, we don’t necessarily think of email. Sure, we use it in business settings, but can emailing your loved one really be a way to maintain contact with them? It sure can! Especially if your loved one enjoys using computers. Emails are very popular with the senior community, with approximately 84.1% of that particular population using them regularly.
If needed, be sure to adjust the settings for your loved one, or walk them through it. Many email services have adaptability settings that allow for larger fonts and other services, like the ability to dictate emails and have them read to you. Of course you are able to send many more images than a text message will allow, and having those pictures readily available is a treat for your loved one!
Following email etiquette is important too. Things like not using all caps and clear subject lines are important in both a business and more casual setting. Make sure you take the time to discuss these with your loved one if this is a preferred communication method. An email can take about 5 minutes of your day to compose and send – and you can even be at work to send one!
Letters, cards, packages – you name it, and it can be sent miles and miles away. Whether it’s just a postcard or something big like a stuffed animal, sending mail to your loved one is another way to communicate with them and let them know you care. It’s a small thing that can have the biggest impact on your loved one’s disposition and their health overall.
Always be sure to check with your loved one’s facility regarding acceptable gifts to send, some may have different restrictions regarding food and other items. A card or letter doesn’t take much time to write, and it definitely doesn’t take time to shop on Amazon – something a lot of us do almost daily. Why not take the time to shop for them when shopping for yourself?
Conclusion
Maintaining communication is good for both you and your loved one. Your loved one gets to communicate with you just as much as they would if they were still at home, and you get the added benefit of being able to monitor their care as much as you wish. There are so many ways to communicate and show you care, so it should be easy to find the best method of communication with your loved one. Tailoring communication to you and your loved one is paramount to their stay at any facility. Communication is key, and we want to make sure you’re able to maintain that link in the most convenient way possible. If you have any particular questions about how we at Covenant Columns help bridge the communication gap, feel free to call Covenant Columns at 804-373-CARE (2273)