Supporting an older loved one to move from their own home into residential accommodation is a task that often takes an emotional toll on all family members involved.

Sometimes the move can be planned, when the older person acknowledges it’s time to make the move. But more often this significant life change happens during a crisis, when there’s been a massive decline in the older person’s health, often after a hospital admission.

In a perfect world, we’d all be having these conversations with our older loved ones, well in advance of this situation arising, but it doesn’t happen like that for many families. Today’s guest, registered psychologist Dr Julie Bajic-Smith, helps us understand the impact on everyone when the time comes for a loved on to move into residential aged care. She discusses how to approach these conversations and how frame the move more positively.

 In this episode:

• Only a small percentage of older people move into aged care
• Independence vs risk
• When might a person need to move into aged care?
• How much informal support is provided?
• How to start a conversation about a move to residential care
• The significance of losing independence
• Moving a loved one into care doesn’t always reduce stress
• Moving an older person into care can enhance family relationships
• Frame things positively
• Loss of insight in the older person and how to deal with this
• Have gentle and compassionate conversations earlier and regularly
• Improving mental health for older people in residential care

Resources mentioned:

• Julie's Book: Beyond the reluctant move
• Julie’s podcast: So you work in aged care
• Downloadable: 5 facts about me
• Let’s Talk Consultation

Connect with Dr Julie Bajic-Smith:

• Website: Wise Care    
• LinkedIn   

Connect with Coral Wilkinson: 

• Instagram 
• LinkedIn 

Follow See Me Aged Care Navigators:

• See Me ACN website
• Facebook
• Instagram

More about Your Aged Care Compass podcast: 

Do you support an older loved one at home and you're ready to give up because it’s just too hard? Your Aged Care Compass is for you.

We're Coral and Michelle, the sisters behind our business, See Me Aged Care Navigators.

Coral is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in both health and aged care. A former assessor with the aged care assessment team, an advocate and author, there’s not much Coral doesn’t know about Australia’s aged care system.

Michelle is a former pharmacist with over 30 years in the public health and private sectors of pharmacy. Michelle is the client care manager for our business. 

Our story started as one of supporting our parents to remain in their own home, to be as independent as possible and remain connected to their community. When we eventually needed extra support, we achieved this because we know Australia’s aged care system so well. We knew what programs could assist us and our parents.

Your Aged Care Compass podcast brings together not only our personal experience in supporting our parents but also our vast professional experience in supporting other families to keep their loved ones at home. 

We'll help you makes sense of Australia’s aged care system and bring you topics related to ageing as well. Legal, financial, health, forward planning and more.

 Your Aged Care Compass will guide you clearly and compassionately to the right support at the right time for your ageing parents and loved ones. 

Like what you hear? Please leave us a rating and review. We’d love you to share this podcast with any friends or family who have older loved ones.