Moving into a care home can be an emotionally charged period for both the residents and their loved ones. Nevertheless, this change can be changed into a positive experience with the following simple recommendations: See how we can help How we can help
PERSONALISE 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 OUTFITS AND TOILETRIES.
Try and bring your loved one plenty of clothes and toiletries for at least 2 full weeks. Remember to put a name tag on each item of clothing so that they don’t get mixed up with the washing of other residents’ in the laundry room. Try to pack toiletries that your loved one normally uses at home as the familiar smells will help your family member in the settling in process.
GIVE THE STAFF LOTS OF INFORMATION.
The staff at the care property want to help make your relative’s relocation into the care home as beneficial as feasible. So, before your loved one moves in, give the care home workers some relevant information about your relative’s life so they can use this to create 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 conversations with the staff about very 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 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 HOME PRIOR TO THEY MOVE IN.
Care home workers normally 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 trigger 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 THE SECOND THEY MAKE THE MOVE.
On the day of the move give yourself adequate time to do what ever comes up and be prepped to stick around for the day. Attempt to finish all forms and vital jobs in advance so that your time can be spent making your loved one feel as comfortable as possible and making their room feel like home.You’re probably to experience a mix of emotions on this day – relief that your loved one is going to be getting the care they need, sadness that they are leaving behind their home, worry about whether they will settle in okay. All of these sentiments are totally typical and understandable, but try and be as positive as possible to assure your family member and help them to feel positive too.
We really hope this quick guide has been insightful and given you some helpful guidance on how to move your loved one into a care home and make it a favorable experience for everyone involved.
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