Relocating into a care home can be an emotive period for both the residents and their relatives. On the other hand, this move can be turned into a positive experience with the following straightforward recommendations: See how we can help -
PERSONALISE THEIR ROOM 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 CLOTHES 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 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 process.
GIVE THE STAFF LOTS OF RELEVANT INFORMATION.
The workers at the care home want to help make your family member’s relocation into the care home as positive as possible. So, prior to your loved one moves in, give the care home workers some information about your relative’s life so they can use this to create 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 pictures 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 BEFORE THEY MOVE IN.
Care home staff usually say that residents settle in a lot faster and loved ones feel more reassured 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 schedules before they move in. This protects against 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 what ever comes up and be readied to hang around for the whole day. Make an effort to finish all forms and essential tasks ahead of time 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 sense a mix of feelings 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 totally typical and easy to understand, 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 informative and given you some valuable advice on how to move your relative into a care home and make it a positive experience for all people involved.
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