Navigating the Emotional Journey of Moving into a Care Home
Moving into a care home is a significant transition for everyone involved and is filled with emotions, both positive and negative; anxiety, apprehension and nervousness are mixed with nostalgia, relief and hope.
With such a range of emotions, navigating them can feel difficult and messy. However, understanding these feelings helps create a smooth transition process and a positive start to this new chapter.
At Primrose Lodge Southbourne, our care goes beyond physical well-being and into emotional and mental well-being. This is especially important when your loved one is transitioning into our care home, and our staff will work with you and your loved one to embrace and understand all the emotions.
In this blog, we share how you can navigate the emotions as you build up to a move-in day to create a calm and positive atmosphere and experience.
Understanding the Emotional Impact
Deciding to move your loved one into a care home often triggers several emotions in both you and your loved one. It is important to understand these so you can handle them.
Your loved one might experience:
- Fear of losing their independence and identity
- Sadness at leaving their home – often their family home where they raised their children
- Relief knowing they will receive constant care
- Excitement about being part of a community
Meanwhile, you, as a family member, are likely to experience:
- Guilt over not being able to care for your loved one
- Worry about the quality of care they will receive
- Relief that they will be in a safe environment and receiving the care they need
Preparation Strategies
As with anything, preparation will make a big difference in managing these emotions and the transition.
One of the best ways you and your loved one can be prepared for the experience is to maintain open communication.
Make sure that you openly discuss the move with them and involve them in any decisions so that they feel respected and heard.
Make sure they are also included in making any plans and be sure to address the practical aspects of moving as well as the emotional aspects.
The more they know about the process, the better.
Creating a New Home
On the moving day, personalising your loved one’s new room and living space will set the transition off on the right foot. We encourage our new residents to bring personal and sentimental items from their homes into ours so that they can make their rooms familiar and comfortable. This could be family photos, paintings, bedding or furniture that holds great value to your loved one.
Building New Relationships
One of the many benefits of a care home is that your loved one will be surrounded by other residents and staff, meaning there is always an opportunity to socialise.
However, when dealing with a major upheaval, such as moving home into a care home, meeting new people can feel intimidating. You should support your loved one through this by encouraging them to engage with their new community and interact with their new neighbours.
Encourage them to participate in the activities on their first day in the home and eat lunch and dinner in the dining room with other residents.
Helping them to start building new relationships and friendships will reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation they might be feeling throughout the transition.
Adjustment Period
Moving into a care home is no different to any other move, as your loved one will go through a period of adjustment.
This will take time, and the best way you can support your loved one through this is to be patient. Adjusting to new surroundings takes individuals different amounts of time, so don’t worry if you think your loved one is getting used to their new home slower than someone else might.
Help them through this process by being an ear to listen and provide emotional support and encouragement when they need it.
Visit them regularly and keep in touch on the days you don’t visit to help maintain a sense of connection and support.
Maintaining Connections
One of the biggest fears your loved one might face is the thought of being forgotten or left behind. Maintaining relationships and communication is key to dispelling that fear when they move into the care home.
Utilise the available modern technology; show your face to your loved one on video calls and message regularly. Staff are always on hand to help your loved one use technology to catch up with you.
Don’t forget to bring your family to visit regularly and participate in care home activities with your loved one to continue making shared memories.
Professional Support
Sometimes, professional support might be required to help you and your loved one get through this transition.
Care homes will often have counsellors available as part of their services or will be able to recommend and arrange for mental health professionals to visit the care home to help.
Seeking such support is a positive step towards managing emotional challenges.
Emotional Support At Primrose Lodge Care Home
At Primrose Lodge, we understand that moving into a care home can be emotional. However, we always aim to make it a positive experience.
The move opens doors to new friendships, belonging to a community and trying new activities and hobbies while receiving quality care and support that doesn’t stifle independence.
With the right preparation, this transition can be a step towards an enriching and comfortable new phase in life.
If you or your loved one is worried about the transition process and navigating the emotions along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff. We are always happy to work with you to understand and deal with any emotions felt by you or your loved one. By collaborating and keeping communication open, we can make the move to our care home smooth and positive.
Call us on 01202 429514 or complete our online contact form to discuss how we can help navigate this emotional journey.