Moving into a care home can be a sensitive time for both the residents and their family. Nevertheless, this switch can be turned into a beneficial experience with the following straightforward ideas: See how we can help -
PERSONALISE THEIR BEDROOM AND KEEP 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 OUTFITS AND TOILETRIES.
Try and bring your loved one enough clothes and toiletries for at least two full weeks. Always remember to put a name tag on each item 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 usually uses at home as the familiar smells will help your family member in the settling in process.
PROVIDE THE TEAM LOTS OF RELATED INFORMATION.
The staff at the care home want to help make your family member’s move into the care home as positive as feasible. So, prior to your loved one moves in, give the care home workers some information about your loved one’s life so they can use this to develop a relationship with their new resident as rapidly as possible. This will also help the resident feel more at home if they are able to have chats with the staff about special events in their life.This info could be in the form of highlights about your loved one, or a short story about them as well as photographs of them with family members. Things to include 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 profession?
SPEND TIME AT THE RESIDENCE PRIOR TO THEY MOVE IN.
Care home workers usually say that residents settle in quicker and loved ones feel more assured if they spend some time at the care home before moving in. This can trigger your relative to get to know staff members and other residents and get to know the everyday schedules before they move in. This avoids the change from being too much of a shock to the system.
BE THERE FOR THEM THE SECOND THEY MAKE THE MOVE.
On the day of the move give yourself sufficient time to do no matter what comes up and be prepared to remain for the day. Strive to finish all forms and essential tasks ahead of time so that your time can be spent making your loved one feel as relaxed as possible and making their room feel like home.You’re most likely to experience a mix of feelings on this day – relief that your family member 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 completely normal and understandable, but try and be as positive as possible to assure your family member and help them to feel positive too.
We hope this quick guide has been interesting and given you some useful guidance on how to move your relative into a care home and make it a positive experience for everyone involved.
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