9 Tips for a Smooth Transition When Moving Into a Care Home
While moving into a care home can feel daunting and overwhelming, there are several tips that you can follow throughout the transition process to ensure a smooth move and settling in.
The move will involve a lot of change, from routines to faces and, of course, the environment. However, this time can be filled with opportunity, comfort and community.
At Primrose Lodge Southbourne, we pride ourselves on our welcoming home and family environment. Our priority is ensuring every resident has a comfortable experience with us that starts from the moment they walk in on their moving day.
We achieve this by creating an easy and smooth transition for your loved one.
In this blog, we share practical tips to help new residents adjust to life at our care home, ensuring a positive transition.
Setting Realistic Expectations
As with many processes, it is important to set realistic expectations at the beginning of this journey. This should take place in the form of open and honest communication with your loved one, where you can discuss what challenges they are likely to face, as well as the positive changes they will experience.
The transition will mean many differences to get used to, but it will also be filled with opportunities. In your conversations, it is important that you make them feel it is ok to take time to adjust to the new setting, and they will feel nostalgia and apprehension as they get used to their new home.
Validating these feelings can help your loved one embrace them and will show support, helping them transition from their home to a care home.
Personalising Your Space
We want your loved one to feel at home just as much as you do. With this in mind, it is important that you help your loved one personalise their space with family photos, a favourite throw, or cherished furniture.
Personalising their room can ensure they feel at home as they are surrounded by familiar furniture and images.
Don’t forget the power of small decorations, such as plants and artwork, as they add personal touches to the new surroundings.
Engaging in Social Activities
Socialising and participating in activities is always an important aspect of life, and this doesn’t change when moving into a care home.
Care homes often have a fun and engaging activity and events calendar full of varying tasks and games. It is always a good idea to encourage your loved one to throw themselves into these activities.
While this might seem intimidating at first, this is a great way to get to know the other residents and start building relationships with one another.
Of course, creating and nurturing friendships in a care home will reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, helping create a positive experience of living in a care home.
Establishing a Routine
Your loved one will likely have a routine at home, and moving into a care home will disrupt it. This will be unsettling, which is why it can be important to help your loved one establish a new routine in their new home.
A consistent routine will likely help them feel more in control and settled in their new environment, especially if it includes activities they enjoy and regular visits and chats from family and friends.
This is often easier to do if you know what the established routines are in the care home your loved one is moving into. Ask about these when visiting the care home while exploring your options. If you know some of the routines before moving in, you can discuss them and set the expectations before the change. Perhaps you can even start implementing the routines at home before moving.
Maintaining Independence
Everyone wants their independence, and the perception of moving into a care home is that this is lost. However, this certainly isn’t the case.
In order to ensure a smooth transition, our staff encourage your loved one to remain as independent as possible. We often find that this works best when it is supported by you and the rest of the family.
This looks like allowing your loved one to choose which activities they take part in and having a say in their care plans, amongst other things.
Building Relationships with Staff and Residents
It is just as important to build strong relationships with care staff as it is to build relationships with other residents, as this will impact how quickly your loved one will settle in.
As a loved one, you can help lead this by engaging in conversations with the staff and residents. It is likely that your loved one will follow your lead as they navigate the new surroundings and their anxious feeling about the move.
These connections can provide a sense of community and belonging, which will help your loved one feel at home.
Staying Connected with Family and Friends
Staying in touch and constant communication with your loved one is vital to helping your loved one transition from home into a care home.
If you can’t visit them in person, make use of technology like video calls or social media to stay connected.
Where possible, make regular face-to-face visits and encourage other family members to visit too.
Managing Health and Wellness
Just like living at home, maintaining health and wellness is important for a smooth transition into a care home. This is because it will impact some of the other tips for settling in, such as staying independent and taking part in activities.
Encourage your loved one to make use of the health and wellness services, including mental health facilities as well as physical health ones.
Of course, staying active will also assist with this, so if you visit them, why not encourage them to join you for a walk or tea in the garden?
The transition from home into a care home is a big one, and it isn’t unusual for it to have an impact on your loved one’s health and well-being. Give them space and time to reflect on their thoughts and feelings and support them as they work through these.
Seeking Support When Needed
If you see or believe your loved one might be struggling, don’t hesitate to seek additional support.
Remind your loved one that asking for help is not a weakness.
Transitioning into Primrose Lodge Southbourne
Transitioning into life in a care home is an experience you and your loved one won’t have faced before. It can be full of challenges. However, with the right support and approach, it can be full of opportunities and a positive experience.
At Primrose Lodge Southbourne, we know that the transition into a care home can be difficult for all the family, so we are always on hand to assist and support throughout.
All of our residents are welcome to customise their rooms to make them feel more like home, and we take great pride in the weekly activities schedule that we offer. To maintain their independence, residents are free to select the activities they take part in and when.
As we have said throughout this blog, family support during this transition is vital, and we want to encourage this, which is why we have an open-door policy to allow friends and family to visit whenever they want to. We even encourage you to join in our activities or dining times.
If you are unable to visit our home, we are always happy to help your loved one call or Facetime you.
We advise your loved one to try out our respite care service for a few days before deciding to move into our long-term care facility. They are welcome to stay for as long as they would like to experience what it would be like to live with us. This will facilitate the transfer from home to the care facility and help set their expectations.
If you are interested in Primrose Lodge Southbourne, book a visit or enquire about rooms by calling us on 01202 429514 or completing our contact form.