Relocating into a care home can be an emotionally charged time for both the residents and their whole family. Having said that, this switch can be turned into a positive experience with the following simple recommendations: See how we can help Beaucare
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 CLOTHING AND TOILETRIES.
Try and bring your loved one ample clothing and toiletries for at least 2 full weeks. Keep in mind 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 typically uses at home as the familiar smells will help your loved one in the settling in procedure.
PROVIDE THE TEAM LOTS OF INFORMATION.
The staff at the care home want to help make your family member’s relocation into the care home as positive as feasible. So, before your loved one moves in, give the care home team some relevant information about your family member’s life so they can use this to develop a connection with their new resident as swiftly 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 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 occupation?
SPEND TIME AT THE RESIDENCE PRIOR TO THEY MOVE IN.
Care home crew commonly say that residents settle in a lot quicker and loved ones feel more assured if they spend some time at the care home before moving in. This can prompt your relative to get to know staff members and other residents and get to know the daily routines before they move in. This avoids 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 adequate time to do what ever comes up and be prepared to stay for the day. Strive to finish all forms and crucial jobs beforehand 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 likely to sense a mixture of emotions on this day – relief that your relative is going to be getting the care they need, sadness that they are leaving behind their home, worry about if they will settle in okay. All of these feelings are perfectly typical 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 overview has been interesting and given you some practical 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