November 5, 2024
Learn to Manage the Fear, Anxiety, and Guilt Families May Feel
Fear, anxiety, and guilt are three powerful emotions families experience when transitioning a loved one into senior living. In this Senior Living Minute, Erin Thompson discusses how guiding families through these emotions with empathy and reassurance is key to success. As professionals who navigate this process regularly, we have the opportunity to coach families through the challenges and help them find confidence in their decision. Remember—everything is uncomfortable until it’s comfortable.
Transcript: Learn to Manage the Fear, Anxiety, and Guilt Families May Feel
The top three psychological components people experience when transitioning, looking, or choosing to move into senior living are fear, anxiety, and guilt. How you manage those three emotions will be a major determinant of your success.
Managing these emotions when the moving boxes start arriving—or teaching families how to avoid overwhelming their loved ones—is critically important. Family members are experiencing the same overwhelm, anxiety, and guilt, making this a difficult process for them to navigate.
Since we, as professionals, see this transition five to six times a month, we have the ability to coach families through the emotional pitfalls they may encounter. One of my favorite phrases is:
“Everything is uncomfortable until it’s comfortable.”
So, keep pushing—because once families acclimate, they will thank you for helping them through it.