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If you’re struggling with whether or not to find professional care for your aging loved one, you’re not alone. Making the decision to move your loved one into a personal care living facility may be one of the hardest you’ll ever make, not because senior living is a negative thing, but because you’ve always assumed you would care for your loved one until the end. The guilt can be overwhelming, but here are three reasons why you should let the guilt go and do what’s best for the person you love most.

1. Caregiver Burnout is a Real Concern, and It’s Serious
You can only do so much in a day, and trying to do more for your loved one than is humanly possible can lead to caregiver burnout, which is characterized by increasing illnesses, poor self-care, emotional turmoil, and a wholesale lack of a personal life. Caregiver burnout isn’t good for you, and it’s not good for your loved one. People who burn out are unable to provide the level of care needed, and it puts both their and their loved one’s wellbeing at risk.

2. Isolation and Loneliness Can Have Devastating Consequences
If your loved one lives alone and is no longer able to get out and about, she may feel lonely and isolated, which, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, can lead to early mortality, poor physical and mental health, an increased risk of dementia, depression, and high blood pressure, among a host of other problems. Senior living provides seniors with a social life and regular activities that vastly improve their quality of life.

3. Senior Living is Safer
High quality personal care living facilities like Whitehall Manor and Saucon Valley Manor help ensure the safety of your loved one. Falls, burns, overmedication, and other injuries are common among the elderly, and if you can’t be with your loved one at all times, he may be at a higher risk of injury, depending on his overall health and state of mind. A personal care facility offers help with activities of daily living, medication assistance, and 24-hour safety monitoring to ensure the good health and wellbeing of your loved one.

Senior Living is Happy Living
Ultimately, you know you need to do what’s best for yourself and for your loved one. Moving into a personal care facility isn’t as traumatic as you might suppose, and in fact, most seniors find that they’re far happier living in the fray and getting involved with their community than they were at home, feeling like a burden and experiencing a profound sense of loneliness.