Always Be Empathetic When Talking to Your Parents
If you thought your parents were tough and stubborn when you were younger, don’t be surprised to learn that they’ll be even more stubborn now that they’ve entered their golden years. Often, people will have a hard time trying to talk to their elderly parents because the latter will almost-always try to either get the last say in the conversation or just simply refuse to listen. It can be a difficult and frustrating situation, especially if it involves moving them out of a home they’ve lived in for their entire lives. However, there is an easy solution that is guaranteed to work almost every time.
It sounds downright simplistic, but honestly, that’s because it is! Put yourself in your parents’ shoes: imagine feeling your age in your bones, and your babies –who were just babies a couple of years go –are now grown and making adult decisions and telling you, their parent, that it’ll be better for you to move out of the home you’ve lived in for a majority of your life and theirs.
Doesn’t that sound frustrating?
Your elderly parents are smart; they know their home is probably not an ideal place for senior citizens to live in. They know they can get a pretty good deal on it. They know they’ll be better off in a nicer home or an assisted care facility. They know these things. But it’s just difficult to let go.
Be empathetic. Remember: they are your parents, and they deserve all the love and patience you can give them when talking about something as difficult as this. Give them the space to be sad and grieve their old home. They’ll need it to move on.
Show Them Better Housing Options
Once you’ve given your parents their space and allowed them to process their emotions in a healthy and constructive manner, reassure them of their future by showing them better housing options. Help them look for newer places in the same neighborhood. They might not be ready to move to a different city or state and they might prefer to stay where it’s comfortably familiar, but New Orleans has no shortage of high-quality homes that your elderly parents will appreciate.
When showing them their housing options, show them the benefits of downsizing and simplifying their home. Often, elderly people who have lived in one house their entire lives will have generated a ton of clutter. Show them homes that have great storage options so that they feel like they don’t need to get rid of their treasured memories.
Assure Them That Moving is For the Best
All that being said, it’s important to let your elderly parents know that this move is for their benefit. Deep down, they know it is, but they just need some prodding to get those feelings up to the surface. At your parents’ age, they’ll need specialized equipment to make their home more elderly-friendly, so make sure to find housing options that are able to cater to these special needs.
Assure them that you won’t be too far away or that they can still have access to their friends and family easily. Remember that this is a big move, so it’s important they are made comfortable and happy throughout the process.
When You’re Ready, We’re Here to Buy
Here at Albatross Home Buyers, we’re not just concerned about our bottom-line: we want to make sure that our customers are getting the most value for their money by providing them with honest prices and transparent processes. If you want to sell your house fast in New Orleans, we’re your best option. But we understand how difficult it can be, especially if your elderly parents have fond memories of their grand ol’ home in the Big Easy, which is why we want to make the selling process as fast and as simple as possible.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you!