When it comes to Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs), the focus is often on the benefits that such places can provide to those that live at them. If you are considering moving your elderly loved one into an RCFE, you should know that such arrangements can benefit the families as well. Drawing on our extensive experience working with and for RCFEs, here are some important ways in which RCFEs benefit the families of those that reside there.
Overall Peace of Mind
One of the biggest benefits of having a loved one at an RCFE is the tremendous peace of mind it can provide. In a general sense, families can rest assured knowing that their loved ones are being properly cared for and have easy access to the daily assistance they require. When your family member is in this safe and secure environment and being attended to by trained professionals, you don’t have to spend time worrying about whether all of their needs are being met.
This is particularly true if your loved one has a variety of health problems, or specific ongoing health problems that can be challenging to manage. In such situations, family members trying to help with providing care can quickly end up feeling overwhelmed and out of their depth. This responsibility shifting to experienced RCFE staff can take a great deal of weight off of your shoulders.
Reshaping Relationships
Adult children spending a lot of time caring for elderly parents may find that they end up butting heads with those parents far more than before. This is particularly true if parent and child disagree on the specifics of what that care should entail. If this discord persists for too long, it could strain the relationship and even lead to a certain level of resentment.
For those that find themselves in such an unfortunate situation, the move to the RCFE can help mitigate this built up tension and allow for the adult child/elderly parent relationship to reshape for the better. With care being managed by the RCFE staff, families can focus on enjoying the time spent with their elderly loved ones and engaging in activities that all can have fun doing. This, in turn, can help restore relationships that may have been damaged.
Resetting Boundaries
The resetting of boundaries, in which families get their needed space and residents feel more responsible for their own well-being, is yet another way that RCFEs can prove advantageous. For their part, families are able to live their lives while knowing that their loved ones’ needs are being handled and that they have plenty of opportunities for recreation and socialization with their peers. Living at RCFEs, many residents are able to regain a sense of independence and feel that they have more control than before. While moving a loved one into an RCFE is never easy, it ultimately can prove beneficial to everyone involved.
For more useful information, please check out our posts on 5 Signs It’s Time to Move Your Parents to an RCFE and How to Have a Productive Conversation With Your Parents About RCFEs.
