Moving into a care home can be an emotional and challenging time for residents and their families. The first big task is to find a care home that meets your loved one’s needs; they need to feel comfortable and relaxed in their new environment and you need to ensure that all of the services that they require are available to them. Choosing a care home becomes is also crucial in this process. While this can be a difficult time, we have put together a few tips to help make the experience as positive as possible.
Make your loved one feel at home
Moving to an unfamiliar place is daunting for anyone. Make your loved one feel at home by surrounding them with familiar and personal objects, such as their favourite paintings or treasured pictures. Items such as sentimental ornaments or small pieces of familiar furniture from home can create a homely setting and help them to settle in easier.
Share information about your loved one
To make the experience as personal and familiar as possible, you should provide the care home with information about your loved one, such as their preferences and needs. Perhaps they have a nickname that they like to be called, or there are certain foods that they really dislike. Making staff aware of these little things will help nurses and carers to get to know your loved one as a person, rather than a patient.
Visiting your loved one frequently in their new care home can help to ease the period of transition. They will be able to adjust better to changes with a familiar face around them. Spending time with your loved one in their room can make them feel settled and more at home. Remind them that you love and care about them. Allow your loved one to settle into a routine in their new care home before taking them out; it may take some time to adjust and uprooting them to take them out for the day may disrupt this.
Regularly checking in with staff is important; you can monitor your loved one’s progress and be actively involved in care decisions. It can be helpful to speak to staff to discuss any problems or complaints your loved one may have or just to discuss how they are doing and what they have been up to that day. Perhaps you would like your loved one to partake in more activities, or you have a particular special request. Do not be afraid to discuss this with a staff member; they want to make your loved one’s stay as pleasant as possible.
Avon Park Residential Home in Southampton
Avon Park Residential Care Home is a well-established, welcoming care home in Park Gate, Southampton. We provide a welcoming, homely atmosphere, ensuring that your loved one’s stay is a positive experience. At Avon Park Residential Home, we maintain a quality and caring environment; all of our highly trained care professionals provide the utmost sensitivity and care to each resident’s requirements and needs. For more information about our care home services, visit our website .
