Moving to assisted living can be exciting, as there are many benefits. Caregivers are there to provide much-needed support, delicious meals are prepared for you and served in a social dining room, and there are friendly neighbors around each corner. But a move isn’t all excitement and friendships; there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty that accompany it as well. Whatever you or your aging loved one is feeling is valid and normal. However, you can take certain steps to adjust to your new home. It will take time, of course, but choosing to engage in these habits can increase the chances of becoming settled and decrease your risk of experiencing the negative feelings that can come with such a big transition. Here are some tips for settling into your new home at assisted living.

Attend meals in the dining room

Assisted living communities feature three meals served daily in a busy and bustling dining room or restaurant setting. While eating healthy meals is one way to meet your wellness goals, enjoying them in the dining room with others does more than nourish your body; it can also lift your spirits.

Dining is meant to be a social activity. Sharing stories over a meal is a part of our lives that starts in childhood and continues throughout adulthood. When you choose to go to the dining room for meals, even if you don’t know your tablemates quite yet, you are choosing to contribute to your physical, emotional, and social health.

It can be easy to want to skip meals in the dining room, especially when many communities offer room service. However, getting out and about for meals three times per day not only helps you meet new neighbors but also reinforces the rhythm of your day.

Skip room service and head down to the dining room instead. You might feel nervous at first, but you’ll gain confidence with each trip.

Open your door

When you move into an assisted living community, your neighbors will automatically be curious about you. They are excited to learn more about you and see what you have in common. Many are ready to extend a helping hand as you get used to your new home. However, they might be shy to introduce themselves.

Create a welcoming and inviting home to encourage them to stop by and say hello. Try hanging a welcome wreath or placing a welcome mat at your apartment door. Then, consider keeping your door open a few times per week. Try opening it after you return from breakfast or for 30 minutes before you leave for dinner. As neighbors pass by, they are more likely to wave or say hello if they see your door open. This also makes it easier for you to invite them in for a tour of your apartment or to have a cup of coffee.

When you move to assisted living, you might worry about making new friends, which is normal. Keeping your door open a few times a week can bring new friends right to you.

Attend group activities

Bonding over shared experiences is an excellent way to start new friendships. Fortunately, activities and events happen daily in your new assisted living community. Set a goal to attend at least one group activity a day during your first few weeks there. Look at your community’s event calendar to find activities that meet your interests, sound fun, or pique your curiosity.

If possible, attend recurring activities or groups often. Research has shown something called the exposure effect, which notes that the more often people see you, the more likely they are to like you. Consider attending group exercise each morning, for example, and if possible, sit next to the same person each time. You’ll likely strike up a conversation, and you just might make a new friend.

Communicate with assisted living staff

The team members who work at your senior living community are experts. Most likely, there are caregivers, nurses, and leadership staff who have worked with older adults for years, if not decades. This means they have ample experience serving older adults, and their tool kit is packed with interventions that can help you with the transition to community life.

However, these team members might not realize you are struggling or that you have some concerns. They cannot put their experience to work unless you invite them into your life. Turn to them with the easy questions about dining times or visiting hours and the tough questions about how to make friends or feeling depressed. They are there to help, and anything you share with them will be confidential, though they might need to share it with other members of the interdisciplinary team in order to involve other experts in your care.

Asking for help isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. You’ll find that life can be more fulfilling and less intimidating if you involve the staff more actively. They can connect you with neighbors who share the same interests as you, get you involved in the community’s meal-planning efforts, and so much more.

Getting settled in assisted living can take time

Be patient. Transitioning to assisted living can come quickly for some seniors, but for most, it takes months to feel fully at home. Embrace the process, and trust that you’ll soon be welcoming other new residents and giving them tips on how to feel at home.

If you’re looking ahead to this step and could use a little guidance on selecting the right community for yourself or a loved one, a local senior living advisor can educate and support you in making the choice that’s best for you.