My husband has cognitive impairment and balance issues. I cannot care for him at home anymore as I have to undergo surgery (total hip replacement). He is going into a really nice assisted living facility next week. He has agreed to do this to give me a chance to rebuild my strength. I worry about making the transition. Any suggestions!
Depending on how much he understands, I would keep it as a positive experience and not dwell on it too much. I might keep it low key by transporting him over in a quiet way and get him settled in. Anyway to get his things in his room so that they are ready when he walks in as Geewiz said? The only problem is that some Assisted Living facilities want to meet them in person, before they sign everything and assign the room.
Most recommend that you not visit for awhile, but when it's a spouse, I'm not sure that's a given. Depending on how much he understand, I would play that by ear and do what I felt was right. Keeping in mind that it's not uncommon for residents to cry and beg to return home.
I will also ADD that something I found that made my loved one feel better is that I made a big deal out of what the other residents and staff said about my loved one. It wasn't necessarily true, but I told my loved one that the residents really liked her and that they were VERY excited to have her on their wing. I told her that the staff thought she was the nicest and most friendly resident they had ever had and that they were tickled to have her in their facility. I always tried to ensure that other people there liked her and valued her. It made her feel more comfortable there.