First Day In A New Home
Seeing your loved one entering a new care home can be a worrying time. Whether this is the first residential home they have been in, or they are moving facilities. It’s never a nice thought that they will be starting all over again. So how do we help make the transition smoother, and have them feeling right at home in no time?
The Move
Moving can be a stressful time for anyone, whether it’s a young family into a new home, an elderly family member moving in with family, or someone moving into residential care. The best way to help residents with the move is to invite a family member (where we can) to accompany them on the journey. Whether this is in the car of a family member, or a family member joining the in the patient transport vehicle. The transport and arrival can be the most distressing time, so this can help to ease that.
The Arrival
While we would love to do a sing and dance to welcome each and every resident to their new home, this can sometimes draw more attention than most would like. We have opted for a quieter arrival unless discussed with the family prior to arrival.
This means that we enter the building with the resident and family members, and head straight for their room. This allows them, to have a cup of tea or a rest in their new space following the journey. Here the family can choose to put away some of their belongings should they wish, or we can help to do this later.
After A Rest
After the resident has had a rest, or as soon as they are ready, we like to get them having a look around and taking a tour of their new home. As they will now be here for a while, it’s best to get a feeling of their surroundings at the start, they can then have a more in-depth explore when they are ready.
Meeting The Staff
As they take a tour around the home, they will encounter several members of the team. This will help them to meet more members of the team before having them involved in their care on a one to one basis.
It is far easier to meet the staff as they are around than having them all come to say hello at once.
Don’t worry, we won’t quiz them on names! While there aren’t too many faces to match with names, we don’t expect new residents to know them any time soon! They’ll find their own way to remember who is who over time.
Meeting The Residents
Meeting other residents can be equally as daunting as the move itself. Especially with so many new faces to get used to and many different personalities in the mix. We have a number of ways that we can help your loved ones start to interact. But ultimately it will be how and when they feel comfortable to do so.
For many, this may not be on their first day, it may not even be in the first week. But when they are ready we will help to make this process as easy as possible.
Ideally, we can start them with a buddy who has similar interests or even someone with a similar background. This may not always be possible, but we will get as close as possible.
Another option, if they are uncomfortable on a one-to-one basis is to get them involved in some of our group activities. This can get them interacting with more people without any pressure.
Getting Comfortable
The biggest challenge in getting comfortable in their new home will be making their bedroom their own. We always encourage new residents and their families to bring as many home comforts as possible to make their room feel more comfortable. From pictures of family and friends to trinkets from holidays and memories of times gone by. Depending on the size of the items, you could also consider bringing small furniture items to the room.
If you would like more information on any of our care homes, including Charlotte House and Twycross House please get in touch with a member of our friendly team today who will be happy to help you.
