When your parent or relative moves to a senior living facility, maintaining your close relationship becomes more important and challenging. Visiting them offers precious opportunities to provide emotional support, create lasting memories, and ensure their continued well-being during this significant life transition.
Multiple peer-reviewed studies show that regular family contact is associated with better emotional well-being and less loneliness for many residents, especially when visits include meaningful, engaging activities. Effects vary by individual health, visit type, and facility context.
| Key Takeaways ➤ Regular visits significantly improve seniors’ emotional well-being ➤ Focus on meaningful activities ➤ Memory care requires special approaches ➤ Quality over quantity ➤ Work as a team |
Why Do Your Visits Matter So Much?
It Has Emotional and Health Benefits to Seniors
Regular visits are reliably linked to reduced loneliness and improved mood. Some studies also show improved engagement and modest cognitive benefits in specific programs (e.g., art/music therapy or structured intergenerational activities). However, casual visits alone don’t guarantee measurable cognitive improvement.
Research examining family involvement in residential long-term care indicates that seniors who receive consistent visits experience:
- Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Improved social connection and engagement
- Enhanced sense of purpose and belonging
- Better adaptation to their new living situation
Visits Support the Whole Family
These visits benefit everyone involved. Adult children gain peace of mind knowing their parent receives personalized care, while grandchildren learn valuable lessons about aging, compassion, and family loyalty. Research on intergenerational relationships shows that consistent contact helps preserve bonds across generations.
How Should You Plan Your Visit?
Know Before You Arrive
Contact the facility to understand:
- Current health and safety protocols
- Your relative’s daily schedule and optimal visiting times
- Any recent changes in their condition
- Available amenities you can use together
What to Bring
Pack items that enhance your time together:
- Recent family photos or news updates
- Materials for planned activities
- Comfort items from home
- Bringing a favorite treat can be a warm gesture, but always check with facility staff first about dietary restrictions, food-safety policies, and swallowing risks. Staff can advise on safe snack choices or help serve them
What Activities Create the Strongest Connection?
Memory and Storytelling
Help preserve their life story while strengthening your bond:
- Browse photo albums and discuss the memories they trigger
- Record their stories for future generations
- Create a family tree or memory book together
- Share updates about relatives and mutual friends
Creative Activities
Creative, sensory-based programs, especially when led by trained facilitators and offered regularly, are linked to improved well-being and engagement. Consider music, simple visual arts, or guided reminiscence as structured activities rather than one-off crafts:
- Adult coloring books or simple watercolor projects
- Listening to music from their younger years
- Gentle crafts like folding or sorting activities
- Reading favorite poems or stories aloud
Physical Activities
Gentle movement can help mood, mobility, and balance. According to the CDC’s Physical Activity Guidelines, appropriate activities include short supervised walks, chair-based exercises, or simple balance activities. Always adapt activities to their mobility level and consult staff or a physical therapist for people at risk of falls:
- Taking short supervised walks around the facility grounds
- Practicing simple chair exercises or stretching together, if able
- Playing simple games with soft objects, adapted to the mobility level
- Tending to plants in gardening areas, when appropriate
Social Engagement
Connect with your relative within their new social environment:
- Join them for meals and meet their friends
- Attend scheduled events like performances or speakers
- Play card games or work on puzzles together
- Participate in group activities
How to Visit Memory Care: Special Considerations
While general senior living communities focus on maintaining independence and social engagement, memory care units are specifically designed for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. These specialized environments require different visiting approaches to ensure both safety and meaningful connection.
Memory care facilities provide specialized dementia care with:
- Structured daily routines tailored to cognitive abilities
- Secure environments for safe exploration
- Staff trained specifically in dementia care
- Programs designed to engage despite memory loss
How Should You Communicate Effectively?
When visiting someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends specific communication strategies:
Best Practices
- Speak slowly, using simple, clear sentences
- Maintain eye contact and use gentle touch appropriately
- Focus on emotions rather than correcting misunderstandings
- Use familiar objects to spark conversations
Managing Difficult Moments
- Stay calm if they don’t recognize you
- Don’t argue about confused statements
- Redirect to pleasant topics when needed
- Remember, confusion reflects their condition, not their feelings
Which Activities Work Best for Memory Care?
Sensory-based approaches, such as:
- Use familiar scents, textures, or music
- Focus on emotional reactions rather than identification
- Engage in repetitive, comforting activities
- Share favorite foods that connect to positive memories
How Can You Make Visits More Successful?
- Be fully present without phone distractions
- Follow their interests and energy levels
- Create pressure-free experiences
- Listen actively to their concerns and stories
Bonding With Elderly Parents, Including Your Extended Family
Intergenerational activities across generations bring special benefits, such as:
- Plan supervised visits with grandchildren
- Use video calls to connect with distant relatives
- Encourage children to share school projects
- Create opportunities for wisdom-sharing
How Should You Work With Staff?
Build positive relationships with caregivers:
- Learn the names of key team members
- Share important information about preferences
- Express appreciation for good care
- Collaborate on care plans when invited
What Should You Do When Visits Feel Challenging?
Sometimes visits present challenges due to health changes, communication difficulties, or your own emotional reactions.
Here are some helpful tips:
- Consult with facility social workers about effective approaches
- Consider shorter, more frequent visits if needed
- Focus on comfort and presence over conversation
- Seek support from counselors or support groups
How Can You Balance Your Own Life?
Based on your circumstances, set realistic expectations about visit frequency. Share responsibilities with other relatives when possible, and focus on what you can provide rather than what you cannot control.
Making Visits Special: Creating New Traditions
Special Occasions
Holidays require thoughtful adaptation:
- Bring familiar decorations to their room
- Participate in facility-wide celebrations
- Include them in family event planning
- Create new traditions suited to their current abilities
What Makes Ordinary Days Meaningful?
Regular visits don’t need major events to be meaningful:
- Bring favorite treats or flowers (with staff approval)
- Take shopping trips to nearby stores if they’re able
- Simply enjoy each other’s company
- Share updates from your own life
How Can You Build Long-Term Success?
Routines That Work Best
Consistency benefits both of you:
- Set regular visiting times that match their schedule
- Plan activities, but stay flexible based on daily conditions
- Coordinate with facility staff about special plans
- Create visit traditions you both anticipate
When Should You Seek Additional Support?
Consult professionals when facing:
- Significant behavioral or cognitive changes
- Difficulty connecting during visits
- Your own emotional overwhelm
- Concerns about care quality
Don’t hesitate to work with facility social workers, geriatric care managers, or family counselors specializing in aging issues.
How Can You Maintain Their Dignity?
Support their independence by:
- Asking for their preferences about activities
- Respecting their opinions about care decisions
- Encouraging friendships within the facility
- Supporting their participation in meaningful activities
What Is the Lasting Impact of Your Connection?
Family involvement is associated with better outcomes for seniors’ overall well-being. Your love, consistency, and presence provide irreplaceable emotional support that professional care cannot duplicate.
Each visit strengthens your relationship and contributes to their happiness. Even when communication becomes challenging, your presence offers comfort and reinforces their value to the people they love most.
The Role You Play
Family visits serve multiple crucial functions:
- Maintaining their sense of identity and connection to life history
- Providing emotional support during health challenges
- Offering advocacy to ensure needs are met
- Creating opportunities for joy and meaningful engagement
- Reinforcing their importance to loved ones
Experience The StoneBridge Way: Where Family Values Meet Exceptional Care
With decades of experience serving families across Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois, StoneBridge Senior Living is committed to providing comprehensive care services, including Assisted Living, Memory Care, Rehabilitation, and Skilled Nursing, designed to enhance lives while making visits between you and your relative as comfortable and enriching as possible.
At StoneBridge, we understand that choosing senior living involves countless decisions and emotions. Our highly-trained, compassionate staff works to make transitions smooth, creating gracious environments where families continue building precious memories together. With family values at our core, we consider it a privilege to care for your loved one and support your entire family through this journey.
Contact us today to schedule a personal tour and experience The StoneBridge Way firsthand.