When your parent moves into a nursing home, you know that there might be some adjustment issues. One problem you probably did not consider is a bad roommate. If your parent is having problems with his or her roommate, here are some things you and your parent can do to alleviate the conflict.

Talk to the Roommate

One of the first steps you want to take is to talk directly to the roommate about the problem. Remember, your parent and the roommate are both adults. Unless the roommate has a health condition that prevents him or her from making sound decisions, you should be able to address the concern in a calm and reasonable manner.

Plan what you want to say beforehand. Avoid expressing yourself in an angry manner and walk away from the conversation if necessary. Getting angry and yelling at the roommate could lead to him or her feeling bullied or resentful of you and your parent. 

Talk to the Staff

The staff at the nursing home has experience with dealing with conflicts among residents. If you were unable to deal with the issue by talking with the roommate, talk to staff members who work with your parent and the roommate. Often, it just takes encouragement from the staff for both parties to work out their problems.

You can also involve the facility director. The director can serve as a mediator between your parent and the roommate and provide an unbiased perspective of the situation at hand. The director can help both parties reach an agreement for handling conflict. 

Request a Room Change

In the event that your parent and the roommate continue to have conflict, ask for a new room for your parent. Both parties deserve the right to live without conflict in their home environment. 

Before asking for the room change, it is important that you take a moment to assess your parent's attitude. If the source of the conflict is unreasonable demands from your parent, moving him or her to another room might not be the best possible solution. The same conflict could arise with a new roommate.  In this instance, working with your parent to find out why the conflict starts could help.

Rely on the staff at the nursing home for guidance if there is conflict between your parent and the roommate. Do not fail to address the issue because it can grow to be bigger than what it actually is.