As the child of an aging parent, there may be times when you have second thoughts about your decision to place your mom or dad in an assisted living home. It is never an easy choice to make, but it is often a logical solution for families.

For some, making the transition to an elder care facility is tough, especially if your loved one tends to be introverted. Assisted living activities are offered as a way to help get residents involved in projects that stimulate their creativity and engage with other residents.

If your loved one isn’t taking part in these activities, there could be a number of reasons why they don’t feel like participating. By analyzing what could be the cause of their reluctance, you can develop a plan to help get him involved.

For instance, if your loved one has general mobility issues, activities that require walking or standing for longer periods of time could be too strenuous for them. They might find more enjoyment from activities such as making arts and crafts, playing board or card games, or pursuing spiritual interests.

If they have always shied away from social events, this could just be an extension of their personality. If this is the case, you may need to have patience and allow them time to adjust to their living arrangement. In the meantime, you can make sure they have books, magazines, word puzzles, or an Internet-connected device such as a laptop computer or a tablet to read the news, play games, or stay connected with family and friends using Social media platforms if they desire.

There may also be a chance that your loved one “doesn’t feel up” to taking part in these activities. If this is the case, it is worth consulting with the staff members or their primary care physician to ask them about their overall health profile. This could be caused by a bout of depression, having low energy or potentially, they could be feeling under the weather. If this is the case, their reluctance to participate in assisted living activities could pass by being treated for the ailments that are affecting them.

By using common sense and gathering as much information as possible about the situation, you can work through it and come up with solutions to get your loved one involved in the activities that are offered regularly at their assisted living home.