{"id":121,"date":"2022-01-06T22:26:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T22:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T16:37:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:37:28","slug":"the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I remember when I got nervous about my Father-in-Law, Bob, living alone.\u00a0 There were signs that things were changing.\u00a0 Some were relatively minor, like the pile of unopened mail on his dining room table and the untidiness of his usually tidy home.\u00a0 Other signs were emotional.\u00a0 A social butterfly his entire life, he began to retreat into isolation, and we were concerned that he was lonely and a bit depressed even.\u00a0 Other signs were more concerning, like a hospital visit for a fall.\u00a0 My wife and I became concerned about his safety and his emotional well-being.\u00a0 But, sharing our thoughts about “a transition” with fiercely independent Bob was not a conversation we looked forward to.\u00a0 But, we got through it, and luckily for all of us, he thrived in his new home.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding ‘The Conversation’ with Loved Ones<\/h2>\n

My wife and I own Senior Care Authority Atlanta, and we advise families that have an older adult in their life that needs some help.\u00a0 We coach families about “The Conversation,” during which concerns are voiced to an older adult by a younger loved one about transitioning to senior living or bringing in a caregiver.\u00a0 If this conversation is <\/span>not<\/span> intimidating to you, then you fall into the lucky minority.\u00a0 It will not be easy.\u00a0 But here are a few tips that might make “The Conversation” a bit easier and more successful:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It’s a conversation:<\/span>\u00a0 Meaning, talking with an older loved one and not to them is critical.\u00a0 It is essential to involve them in decision-making.\u200b<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Taking Baby Steps in Difficult Discussions<\/h2>\n

Baby steps<\/span>:\u00a0 Only discuss what you and your parents are comfortable with during the conversation.\u00a0 Try and empathize with how your parent might be thinking and feeling.\u00a0 Moving from a place of familiarity to the unknown is a giant leap, and change is more challenging to manage as you age. Test the waters with some more straightforward questions about senior living before diving into the deep end: “Did you see that new senior living community they are building down the street? What do you think?”. “Have you ever visited a relative in a nursing home?”. “I hear the food is pretty good at that community we passed the other day.” Begin by talking about senior living before directly mentioning moving or bringing in assistance.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Recognizing Body Language During Conversations<\/h2>\n

Body Language<\/span>:\u00a0 Watch and listen for body language changes (crossed arms, change in posture, raised eyebrows, clenched jaw) that might indicate when the conversation needs to end or the topic needs to change.\u00a0 If you perceive that the subject is causing some stress, change the topic, and see if you can analyze what part of the conversation caused the stress.\u00a0 Was it the expense?\u00a0 Was it the dated concept of a “nursing home”?\u00a0 Or, was it stress related to the change itself?\u00a0 Once the stressor is better understood, strategize on how to address that topic in the next conversation. For example, if the stress was related to their concept of what “nursing homes” used to be like, bring a laptop to the next conversation and show them images of what senior living communities are like today.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Encouraging Open-Ended Dialogue<\/h2>\n

Open-ended conversation<\/span>:\u00a0 Don’t decide in advance what you think the outcome should be.\u00a0 Discover the best solution alongside your older loved one, but be realistic as well.\u00a0 Asking open-ended questions will help you identify what they authentically might find to be most comfortable – hopefully, you can arrive at the best solution together.\u00a0 It’s easier on older adults if they feel that they are participants in the transition journey;\u00a0 however, it’s essential to be realistic.\u00a0 Transitioning an older loved one into senior living early on, when they are healthy enough to be admitted, is extremely important.\u00a0 Waiting too long can put families in a difficult position with limited choices, and a skilled nursing facility might be the only option.\u00a0 These environments are much less inviting than senior living communities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Staying Focused on the Goal of Care<\/h2>\n

Eyes on the Prize:<\/span>\u00a0 Stay focused on the goal, which is finding the care and environment that will enable the older adult in your life to <\/span>thrive<\/span>.\u00a0 I have experienced many stories in which older adults were in decline due to physical impairment, cognitive impairment, or isolation.\u00a0 Alongside their supportive families, they made a difficult transition and began to thrive as a result.\u00a0 It is not a comfortable journey, and The Conversation is challenging, but the results are well worth the conscious effort to understand.\u00a0 Be compassionate, and proceed with loving-kindness (even in the face of resistance or reluctance).\u00a0 It is important to remember that it is their life that will change most radically, and hopefully for the best!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Engage in a two-way conversation to involve your loved one in decisions.<\/li>\n
  • Start with small, comfortable topics to ease into the conversation.<\/li>\n
  • Pay attention to non-verbal cues that may indicate discomfort or the need to change the subject.<\/li>\n
  • Ask open-ended questions to explore solutions together, rather than imposing your views.<\/li>\n
  • Keep the ultimate goal in mind: ensuring the well-being and thriving of your older loved one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I remember when I got nervous about my Father-in-Law, Bob, living alone.\u00a0 There were signs that things were changing.\u00a0 Some were relatively minor, like the pile of unopened mail on his dining room table and the untidiness of his usually tidy home.\u00a0 Other signs were emotional.\u00a0 A social butterfly his entire life, he began to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Conversation - North Atlanta<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Conversation - North Atlanta\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I remember when I got nervous about my Father-in-Law, Bob, living alone.\u00a0 There were signs that things were changing.\u00a0 Some were relatively minor, like the pile of unopened mail on his dining room table and the untidiness of his usually tidy home.\u00a0 Other signs were emotional.\u00a0 A social butterfly his entire life, he began to […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"North Atlanta\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-01-06T22:26:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-10T16:37:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Lyboldt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris Lyboldt\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chris Lyboldt\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/281dee8460d48dcd7708ea748e5168d4\"},\"headline\":\"The Conversation\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-01-06T22:26:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-10T16:37:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":857,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Conversation - North Atlanta\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-01-06T22:26:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-10T16:37:28+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/06\\\/the-conversation\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Conversation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/\",\"name\":\"North Atlanta\",\"description\":\"Chris Lyboldt - Chris Lyboldt\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"North Atlanta\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/14\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/SCA-logo-transparent.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/14\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/SCA-logo-transparent.webp\",\"width\":472,\"height\":461,\"caption\":\"North Atlanta\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\\\/north-atlanta\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/281dee8460d48dcd7708ea748e5168d4\",\"name\":\"Chris Lyboldt\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ee55bd1fa494f5167a21a30186a8a22af5bac88f2163c1e1f16fdcbb859f438c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ee55bd1fa494f5167a21a30186a8a22af5bac88f2163c1e1f16fdcbb859f438c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ee55bd1fa494f5167a21a30186a8a22af5bac88f2163c1e1f16fdcbb859f438c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Chris Lyboldt\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Conversation - North Atlanta","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Conversation - North Atlanta","og_description":"I remember when I got nervous about my Father-in-Law, Bob, living alone.\u00a0 There were signs that things were changing.\u00a0 Some were relatively minor, like the pile of unopened mail on his dining room table and the untidiness of his usually tidy home.\u00a0 Other signs were emotional.\u00a0 A social butterfly his entire life, he began to […]","og_url":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/","og_site_name":"North Atlanta","article_published_time":"2022-01-06T22:26:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-10T16:37:28+00:00","author":"Chris Lyboldt","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris Lyboldt","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/"},"author":{"name":"Chris Lyboldt","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#\/schema\/person\/281dee8460d48dcd7708ea748e5168d4"},"headline":"The Conversation","datePublished":"2022-01-06T22:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-10T16:37:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/"},"wordCount":857,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#organization"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/","url":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/","name":"The Conversation - North Atlanta","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-01-06T22:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-10T16:37:28+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/2022\/01\/06\/the-conversation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Conversation"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/","name":"North Atlanta","description":"Chris Lyboldt - Chris Lyboldt","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#organization","name":"North Atlanta","url":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2026\/01\/SCA-logo-transparent.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2026\/01\/SCA-logo-transparent.webp","width":472,"height":461,"caption":"North Atlanta"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/#\/schema\/person\/281dee8460d48dcd7708ea748e5168d4","name":"Chris Lyboldt","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ee55bd1fa494f5167a21a30186a8a22af5bac88f2163c1e1f16fdcbb859f438c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ee55bd1fa494f5167a21a30186a8a22af5bac88f2163c1e1f16fdcbb859f438c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ee55bd1fa494f5167a21a30186a8a22af5bac88f2163c1e1f16fdcbb859f438c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Chris Lyboldt"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":225,"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions\/225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/north-atlanta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}