Relocating into a care home can be a sensitive period for both the residents and their loved ones. On the other hand, this move can be changed into a positive experience with the following simple ideas: See how we can help Find Out more
CUSTOMISE THEIR SPACE AND MAKE IT HOMELY.
Place familiar objects around your loved one’s room, such as photographs, ornaments or a favourite chair. This will make their room feel more like home and help them settle in much quicker.
PACK THE RIGHT CLOTHES AND TOILETRIES.
Try and bring your loved one plenty of clothes and toiletries for at least 2 full weeks. Don’t forget to put a name tag on each piece of clothing so that they don’t get mingled up with the washing of other individuals’ in the laundry room. Try to pack toiletries that your loved one commonly uses at home as the familiar smells will help your loved one in the settling in process.
PROVIDE THE STAFF LOTS OF RELEVANT INFORMATION.
The personnel at the care home want to help make your loved one’s move into the care home as encouraging as possible. So, before your loved one moves in, give the care home staff some relevant information about your relative’s life so they can use this to develop a connection with their new resident as rapidly as possible. This will also help the resident feel more at home if they are able to have conversations with the staff about special events in their life.This information could be in the form of highlights about your loved one, or a short story about them as well as pictures of them with family members. Things to incorporate could be: Where did they grow up? When and where did they get married? How many children and grandchildren do they have? What was their occupation?
SPEND TIME AT THE RESIDENCE BEFORE THEY MOVE IN.
Care home staff usually say that residents settle in faster and loved ones feel more reassured if they spend some time at the care home before moving in. This can motivate your relative to get to know staff members and other occupants and get to know the everyday schedules before they move in. This protects against the change from being too much of a shock to the system.
BE THERE FOR THEM AS SOON AS THEY MAKE THE MOVE.
On the day of the move give yourself sufficient time to do no matter what comes up and be readied to hang around for the whole day. Try to complete all forms and vital jobs ahead of time so that your time can be spent making your loved one feel as relaxed as feasible and making their room feel like home.You’re probably to sense a mix of feelings on this day – relief that your relative is going to be receiving the care they need, sadness that they are leaving their home, worry about if they will settle in okay. All of these emotions are perfectly typical and understandable, but try and be as positive as possible to reassure your family member and help them to feel positive too.
We really hope this guide has been educational and given you some beneficial guidance on how to move your relative into a care home and make it a beneficial experience for everybody involved.
If you need any more help you can reach us here Beaucare