All things have their season. This is true in nature, in the tech world, and even in your own life. Eventually, everyone reaches the end of an era and has to move on. The older people get, however, the more they just want to settle some roots and grow in place for a while. This is true as soon as you start to build up your life as an adult. Those roots can make your daily routine feel comfortable, supportive, and easy to navigate.
The issue, however, is when it’s time to move on further. Growing older and needing more help care-wise can be a bitter pill to swallow, so if your loved one is struggling with the idea of going to a care home and relocating, use this article to help guide them through the process.
Help Them Choose their Care Home
Remaining in control and as independent as possible is critical. The last thing you’d want is to be infantilized and treated like you can’t do anything for yourself, so don’t do it for your family member. While you can absolutely have an opinion, and put together a short list of options to help them out, ultimately, this should be something that your loved one decides for themselves.
This is even true for those living with dementia. Try to get your loved one on a good day to help them choose a care facility that actively provides memory care. It doesn’t matter if they’ll forget it later. Giving them the dignity of choice for as long as they can is essential.
Help Them Redecorate Their New Space
While many properties, like these Hertford care homes, come fully furnished and beautifully presented, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do. Your loved one has a whole home’s worth of memories to sort through, so help them pick out a few of their most comforting essentials. Their own bed sheets, blankets, towels, decor, and wall art can go a long way towards personalizing their new home. You can even get in touch with the facility itself if you want to move in larger furniture pieces and need them to remove what’s there. There may be limits, but it never hurts to ask, and the feeling of having your things around the home is a powerful one.
Encourage Them to Attend The Activities
You can’t make your loved one do anything, but sometimes just a little push and encouragement is all they’ll need to try new things and start attending the events and activities available. Making new friends can be very difficult as an adult, but attending activities, classes, and outings with your peers is one of the easiest ways to do just that. If your loved one is nervous about starting or digging their heels in the sand, give them encouragement.
You can also help break the ice by visiting regularly, planning activities together, and seeing if you, too, can attend the outings or some of the events hosted by the care home.
Keep in Regular Contact
One of the biggest worries for anyone moving into a care home is that their kids will never see them. Subvert that worry immediately by calling on a regular basis, scheduling visits well in advance, and sticking to it. You can do things together at the care home, out on the town, or even at yours. Staying in touch with someone is not easy, but the more you do it, the more easy and natural it becomes.
Maintain a Routine
When it comes to how often and when you should call, visit, or make plans, try to either give your loved one plenty of advanced warning or make it part of a routine. Routine can help your loved one by giving them a pillar of support and comfort, so if something isn’t going well or if they need to feel like they have a safe space to turn to, you’re there. Not only will being in touch this often help them feel more stable, but it’s also how you can make sure that they’re being well cared for and that you stay updated on all the latest news in their life.
