You've already done the hardest part: acknowledging that your parent needs more support than they're getting at home. But now a new challenge has taken its place: figuring out which type of care actually fits. Assisted living and memory care get mentioned together so often that it's easy to assume they're interchangeable. They're not.
Making new friends can get harder with age. Longtime friends move to be closer to their grandchildren, and some pass away. Days that used to be full of plans can start to feel quiet.
You've started dreading the silence after you ask, "What did you do today?" Your parent used to have an answer: a neighbor stopped by, they tried a new recipe, they watched the birds in the yard. Now, the response is always the same: "Nothing much." It's easy to explain away. Maybe they're tired. Maybe it's just aging.
