If a senior in your life has recently moved to an assisted living community, they probably feel excited and a little overwhelmed. Both are common soon after the transition. As a loved one, you might be experiencing similar feelings. Going from hands-on caregiving to more of a support role can be an adjustment.

At Sunrise, we design programs and activities that help enrich the mind, body and spirit. Since we first opened our doors, programming has played a huge role in daily life in our communities. Hear more from our senior vice president of Memory Care & Program Services, Rita Altman, on how we’ve evolved and what the future may hold.

The role of family caregiver can be demanding. Some days might not seem to have enough hours to get everything done. Other days you’ll manage things fairly easily. If you have a job outside the home, caregiving duties might require you to take more time off than normal.

At different points in our lives, we are forced to have difficult conversations with friends or family members. Many adult children say it is especially tough to broach the subject of moving to an assisted living community with an aging parent. It can be so intimidating that adult children often delay the conversation until a crisis occurs.

Emergencies happen from time to time but are more common as we age. In fact, older adults visit hospital emergency rooms at higher rates than most other age groups. Research shows 16 percent of adults age 65 and older are patients in a hospital emergency room (ER) each year.

Caring for a senior loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease requires figuring out how to overcome unique challenges. One is making mealtime go smoothly. For example, an adult with Alzheimer’s might have trouble manipulating silverware or staying focused on tasks associated with eating. Identifying challenges and developing strategies to work around them are key to helping an older adult with Alzheimer’s maintain healthy nutrition.