Managing the Emotional Transition to Care Home Living
Even when the decision is made by you and your loved ones, moving into a care home is a big transition. Everyone will be feeling a mixture of emotions, anxiety, apprehension and nervousness mixed with nostalgia, hope and a little bit of relief. All these emotions can make the process overwhelming and difficult to navigate.
One of the best ways to work your way through the transition is to acknowledge and understand the feelings that you and your loved one will have, focusing on the positives as you enter the new chapter.
At Primrose Lodge Weymouth, we understand that this step is a big deal for all involved. We want to make it easier for you and your loved one moving into our care home, helping create a smooth transition. Our care goes beyond the physical health of your loved one and extends to their emotional and mental well-being as well as yours.
In this blog, we share some tips to help you navigate the emotions you will all experience as you approach the move-in day and start settling into your new situation.
Emotions Felt When Making the Decision To Move Into A Care Home
The decision to move a loved one into a care home is often not one that is taken lightly. It stirs many emotions in both you and your loved one, but these emotions will be different between you.
It is important to understand who will be feeling what so that you can approach the journey with sympathy and compassion.
Your loved one is likely to feel:
- Fear of losing their independence and identity
- Sadness at leaving their family home
- Relief knowing they will receive care and not have to rely on their children
- Excitement for being part of a new community
While they are ebbing and flowing through these, you might be feeling:
- 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, cared for by professionals and surrounded by a community
- Sadness at them moving out of their home (often the family home)
Experiencing all these feelings is completely normal, and sometimes they will all be felt at the same time, which is ok. At this stage, it is important to take a breath and focus on why you are choosing this, remember the positives to come out of the change and don’t focus on the negatives.
Tips To Prepare For Moving
Once you have acknowledged the emotions experienced by you and your loved one after making the decision to move into a care home, you should start to prepare for the move, both physically and emotionally.
Preparation helps you and your loved one feel in control of the situation, which can often prevent anxious feelings and "what if" questions from sneaking in.
In our experience, the best way you can prepare for the shift in the situation is to openly communicate with everyone.
No matter what reason your loved one is moving into our care home or how much of a say they had in the decision, you should tell them everything about it and involve them in any decisions and discussions with the care home. This way, they will feel included, respected and heard, again helping them feel in control and stopping anxiety from taking over.
The above is more important when it comes to planning the moving day so they know what to expect and have the opportunity to open up to you about their thoughts and feelings.
The more they know about the process, the better.
Settling Into Their New Home
We’ve all been through a moving day, so can relate to how stressful it can be.
While you might not be moving a whole house from one to another, the day can still take its emotional toll on everyone, especially your loved one, when they find themselves and some of their belongings in a new space to adjust to.
One of the best ways to settle some of those moving nerves is to make sure your loved ones' new room feels familiar and like home as soon as possible.
At Primrose Lodge Weymouth, we encourage you to bring in personal items, photos, bedding and some small bits of furniture to truly make the space personal and comfortable to your loved one. The sooner they feel like their room is their home, the better the whole transition will go for everyone.
Getting To Know New Neighbours
Probably one of the deciding factors in moving your loved one into a care home was the community they would be surrounded by - residents and staff around will mean your loved one will never be lonely if they don’t want to be.
But among the enormous change of moving into a care home, starting to meet new people can feel a little too far out of the comfort zone. Trying to introduce your loved one to a few staff members and some of the residents is important because it starts to break the ice of the new environment.
Staff will be chatty and ask questions to initiate a conversation while keeping it brief to allow you all to get things done and settle. You should prompt your loved one to engage in these conversations to start opening up.
It is also a good idea to encourage your loved one to join in any activities going on during the day and join everyone else in the dining room for meals too.
If they can start to build relationships with the staff and other residents, they are less likely to feel lonely, benefiting from the transition rather than dwelling on what they don’t have.
Allow Time For Adjustment
As with any move or significant change in your life, this will take a bit of time to get used to for you and your loved one.
Be patient and allow time for this, supporting your loved one with regular visits, open conversations and plenty of encouragement.
There are no hard and fast rules to feeling at home in a care home, so don’t worry if it takes your loved one a little bit of time to adjust, that is ok.
Just be an ear to listen and offer emotional support when they want or need it. Our team will be there to support your loved one when you aren’t so they won’t be alone at any point in the adjustment period.
Stay In Touch
Keeping in touch with your loved one is so important. They can often feel like a little bit of rejection and abandonment (even if they don’t admit it), so make sure you are communicating with them, sharing what's going on in your life and making sure they know when you are going to visit next.
Modern technology is your best friend for this; use FaceTime or Skype to show your face and share non-verbal communications while you are away from each other.
If your loved one isn’t confident using technology, don’t let this be a barrier. Our staff are always happy to help you communicate with your loved one and can teach them how to use the gadget or simply help them answer the call.
Professional Support
Sometimes, the move can be a little bit more difficult than we would like for your loved one.
But if you find yourself in this situation, don’t worry. This isn’t a problem because we will have additional and professional support, such as counsellors, available to help your loved one navigate what they are feeling and adjust to their new situation.
Navigating Emotions When Moving Into Primrose Lodge Weymouth
At Primrose Lodge Weymouth, we know that this is a big step being taken for you and your family, so we work tirelessly to assist as much as possible with the transition.
While getting high-quality care and support that doesn't limit independence, the move opens doors to making new friends, becoming a part of a community, and trying out new pastimes and activities.
A bit of preparation, communication, and regular visits will work towards a smooth transition and easy navigation of emotions felt by everyone.
Do not hesitate to contact our staff if you or a loved one is concerned about the transition process and managing the emotions involved.
We are always delighted to work with you to ensure everyone understands and addresses any feelings that they may be experiencing. We can ensure a smooth and positive transition to our care facility by working together and maintaining open lines of communication.
Call us on 01305 786568 or complete our online contact form to discuss any concerns or worries you might have about a loved one moving into our care home.