The decision to move your aging parent into an assisted living facility is never an easy choice. It may be the best care option available, but sometimes you can’t avoid feeling guilty and worried that they might resent your decision.

It’s natural for adult children to feel a sense of guilt for moving an elderly parent into a senior living solution. You’ll question whether you’re doing the right thing – Will they be happy? Will they be well cared for?

The most important thing is to remember, it’s in the best interest of your parent. With all the advantages that assisted living has to offer, here are 6 reasons to stop feeling guilty.

1. Social Circle. If your parent is isolated at home, at a senior living community they’ll revitalize their spirit with a social network of their peers, group activities, games, outings, movie screenings, plays and picnics. Your loved ones may have more of social calendar than you!
2. Home Sweet Home. Senior communities are built with comfort and independence in mind. They look more like apartments or condominiums, making it easier for your loved one to move into.
3. On-site Help. While senior living communities are intended for those who don’t require a great deal of medical care, they have on-site healthcare staff, and promote healthy living solutions so residents can continue to prosper and prolong their good health through healthy eating options and exercise classes, to name a few. If your parent needs assistance with eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, there is help available from trained staff.
4. Medication Management. Managing medication is one of the key services provided by assisted living communities. These assistance programs may prevent harmful medication errors and reduce the risk of medication nonadherence.
5. No More Chores. Communities offer meal plans, housekeeping and laundry service. While the idea is for your parent to remain as independent as possible, these services assist them in the daily activities they may have been neglecting at home.
6. Safe and Sound. With security systems and onsite personnel, your parent doesn’t have to worry about neighborhood break-ins or unwanted solicitors. Senior living facilities provide 24-hour safety and security so day or night, help is only a phone call away if your parent needs assistance.

No matter how desperately you may want to do everything possible to keep your parents in their home or find a way to provide the care they need in your home, this is not always an option. An aging parent may require specialized care and attention that you are not able to provide or may need more assistance throughout the day than your work schedule will allow.

Keeping your parent home can be dangerous, since a fall or other crisis happening when they are alone can lead to serious complications. Unfortunately for seniors, even minor trauma can require hospitalization, and many never regain the level of functionality and confidence they enjoyed before falling.

When these emotions come up and you feel guilty about your elder care decision, remind yourself that just like your parent spent your younger years making the best possible decisions for you based on the information they had and the options available, you need to make the best possible senior care decision for your parent.