Moving into a care home can be a sensitive period for both the residents and their family members. However, this transition can be switched into a positive experience with the following basic recommendations: See how we can help Patient Care
CUSTOMISE 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 BEST OUTFITS AND TOILETRIES.
Try and pack your loved one plenty of clothing and toiletries for at least 2 full weeks. Always remember to put a name tag on each piece of clothing so that they don’t get mingled up with the washing of other residents’ in the laundry room. Try to pack toiletries that your loved one commonly uses at home as the familiar smells will help your relative in the settling in process.
OFFER THE STAFF LOTS OF INFORMATION.
The personnel at the care property want to help make your family member’s move into the care home as positive as feasible. So, just before your loved one moves in, give the care home work force some information about your loved one’s life so they can use this to build a connection with their new resident as quickly as possible. This will also help the resident feel more at home if they are able to have chats 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 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 profession?
SPEND TIME AT THE PROPERTY BEFORE THEY MOVE IN.
Care home workers typically say that residents settle in a lot faster 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 occupants and get to know the daily schedules before they move in. This prevents the change from being too much of a shock to the system.
BE THERE FOR THEM WHENEVER THEY MAKE THE MOVE.
On the day of the move give yourself more than enough time to do whatever comes up and be prepared to stay for the whole day. Make an effort to complete all forms and crucial tasks ahead of time so that your time can be spent making your loved one feel as comfy as feasible and making their room feel like home.You’re very likely to feel a mixture of emotions on this day – relief that your family member is going to be getting the care they need, sadness that they are leaving their home, worry about whether they will settle in okay. All of these sentiments are completely regular and easy to understand, but try and be as positive as possible to reassure your family member and help them to feel positive too.
We hope this quick guide has been insightful and given you some practical advice on how to move your family member into a care home and make it a beneficial experience for all people involved.
If you need any more help you can reach us here Patient Care