What to Expect When Moving Into Our Care Home
Moving into a care home for long-term care can feel overwhelming, especially when you and your loved one are unsure what is going to happen. You want to support your loved one through the process, but how can you do that if you aren’t sure what happens?
Not only are there emotional concerns that you will all be facing, dealing with the sadness of your loved one leaving a family home, the anxiety of the unknown and worry about how everyone will cope, but there are also logistical concerns too: how much stuff can they take with them? If we take a piece of furniture, how will we get it to their room? How long can I spend helping them settle in?
At Primrose Lodge Southbourne, we want the transition into our care home to be as easy and stress-free as possible. We believe knowledge is power and apply this to everything we do, from our care and care plans to starting the transition and admission process. Our staff have years of experience helping loved ones move into care homes and combine their knowledge of the experience and their compassion to create a welcoming team and hassle-free process.
In this blog, we share our admission and moving day process so you and your loved one can know exactly what to expect when transitioning into our care home.
Care Needs Assessment
Once you have expressed an interest in our care home and we have accepted your application, we will need to complete a care needs assessment.
This will need to be completed before your loved one moves into our care home, as we use it to create a bespoke care plan.
A care needs assessment is thorough and looks into a number of things:
- Current care needs – medical and personal care
- Life story
- Personal preferences
- Likes and dislikes
- Dietary requirements
- Mobility needs
How do we complete a care needs assessment?
Through many discussions!
We will chat with a variety of people to get a comprehensive picture of all these elements.
People we talk to include:
- You and your family
- Your loved one moving into the care
- Medical professionals
- Any carers currently providing care
- Friends
Gathering all of this information will enable us to ensure we have all the equipment needed to provide the care needed. Plus, it allows us to put together a plan of care that takes into account what your loved one likes and dislikes.
Understanding their life history helps us contextualise some of this information and facilitates us to offer activities and food that they might enjoy and that might help them settle in quicker.
The care needs assessment will be arranged with you once we have confirmed your loved one’s place in our care home. We will book a date and time that is suitable for you and your loved one to complete this.
Preparing for Moving Day
With the information gathered, we will go away and start putting together your loved one’s bespoke care plan.
In the meantime, we will set a move date with you, and you can start preparing for that.
Preparations needed for this day will include:
- Cancelling bills and subscriptions
- Changing address information with banks, DVLA, electoral register and insurance companies
- Making sure medical records are up-to-date
- Ensuring wills and powers of attorney are in place
You will also need to pack some of your loved one’s belongings.
Unfortunately, they won’t be able to bring the entire contents of their home into their room. However, we do encourage all of our residents to personalise their rooms with photos, pictures, bedding and some furniture.
So, you will need to discuss with your loved one what they would like to pack and bring with them.
What to Expect on Moving Day
Of course, the next step is moving into a care home.
Typically, this process is similar across all care homes, as we all want to help your day go smoothly and facilitate a smooth transition into the new home.
Our team will walk you and your loved one through moving in before the day arrives so you can discuss logistical details, such as moving furniture into the room, with them in those conversations. Don’t forget our care home staff are always at the end of the phone if you have a question or concern before moving day.
The day will likely follow this structure:
- Arrival – a member of our friendly team will be waiting to greet you at our front door.
- Showing the room – they will show you and your loved one to their room, helping you carry a few bags or cases.
- Settling in – we will leave you and your loved one to unpack their belongings and start settling into their space. Take your time to put up photos, change bedding and put away clothes and toiletries. While you are doing this, staff might pop their heads in to welcome you and introduce themselves.
- Official introductions – once you are all unpacked, we will officially introduce you to our staff and key personnel who will be part of your loved ones’ day-to-day lives.
- Tour of our facilities – if you and your loved one are up for it, we will take you on a tour of the facilities (even if you visited our care home previously), where you can meet some of the residents and experience the lifestyle at our care home.
- Joining dining and activities – if there are activities that your loved one is interested in, we encourage them to participate in them. Of course, throughout the day, you will be offered refreshments and are welcome to join our residents in the dining room for lunch.
You are always welcome to stay with your loved one throughout the day, helping them unpack and interact with other residents and staff members. We often see that having someone they know helps them feel a little more confident about the day and encourages them to start building relationships with others around them.
Understanding Payment Options and Financial Planning
In our years of experience, we have noticed that the practicality and emotions of a moving day aren’t the only parts that are overwhelming.
While you will have spent time figuring out the cost of care and how your loved one’s care will be funded, organising the payments can cause some anxiety when you don’t know what to expect.
Similar to move-in day schedules, most care homes operate in the same way in that they take monthly payments.
If your loved one is self-funding or you are providing financial support, you will probably set up a standing order or a direct debit to pay each month.
Where there is financial support from your local authority or a government initiative, it will likely be paid directly to the care home. You will probably need to provide a start date.
Ongoing Support and Communication
Moving into a care home is more than just one day. It will take some time for your loved one to settle into their new life and routine. Also, it is common for you, as a loved one, to go through a period of adjustment.
For our team, it is important that they are there for you both continuously, providing support when you need it.
Families are an important part of our community, so we have an open-door policy for you to visit as and when you can.
You are always part of any care plan reviews, along with your loved one, as we value everyone’s thoughts and opinions to ensure we provide the right level and type of care.
Our team are happy to be in communication with you, keeping you updated on changes, plans and general things going on in the care home and your loved ones’ lives so you are always informed.
Moving into Primrose Lodge Care Home
The team at Primrose Lodge are always on hand to help you with moving into our care home for long-term care. We understand the emotions felt and want to make it an easy and smooth day.
From our care needs assessment to helping you tick off all the move-in checklists to unpacking and settling in, we are with you every step of the way.
All you need to do is give us a call at 01202 429514 or complete our online contact form with your concern, and we will get back to you with any answers and support.