Easing The Transition: 6 Ways To Help Seniors Settle Into A Retirement Home

Moving from one home to another can be stressful enough.

But that stress is amplified when the move involves a senior leaving their house—a place they’ve known and loved for decades—to enter a retirement residence.

It’s a whole other life transition—one fraught with emotion, and often, fear.

So what can seniors do to help themselves settle more easily into their new digs?

Here are some recommendations from our Tea & Toast advisors:

Make your space your own

If you’re moving from a house, you will likely need to downsize your belongings—but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything!

Set up your new place with the things that are most important to you. This way, your new space will be more familiar and “homey” from the day you arrive.

Take advantage of the services and amenities

This is your new home, and you have the freedom to do as you please without the worry of home ownership or being alone!

Enjoy services like cleaning staff coming in to do your housekeeping, and having your meals made for you (without dishes to clean afterward).

Don’t isolate yourself

You don’t need to be a social butterfly—but you should try to leave your room occasionally to enjoy the space and people around you.

Staying active and involved is important to your mental and physical health (studies even show it can be the key to a longer life!), so pick activities at the retirement homes that keep you moving and social.

Speak up when needed

Don’t like something about your new home? Don’t be shy to share your concerns or dislikes.  

This is your home now, and the staff at the residence want you to be comfortable and happy. But they can’t fix what they don’t know—so be sure to speak up if something is bothering you.

Give yourself time to adjust…

Retirement living is not the same as living in a condo or at home.

So give yourself time to get used to the transition and settle in. It may take a while, but that’s perfectly normal. You don’t need to rush things or take on too many new things all at once.

…but also be open to new things

This is a new adventure. Some retirement homes are so nice, it’s like living on a cruise ship—but on land! So check out their events, enjoy your time, make new friends, and give yourself the gift of having fun.

Learn about Tea & Toast’s retirement living search service! We can find the perfect home for you or your loved one. Contact a retirement living advisor today!

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