When an older loved one makes the decision to move to a private care home, or else it has unfortunately got to the point where they are unable to make such a choice themselves, and you want to ensure they have the highest quality of life possible, there is, undeniably, a lot to do.
When it comes to the physical move to their new home and surroundings, it can be helpful to organize yourself (and your thoughts) to be the most helpful, and here are some tips on how to do just that.
Take a Tour Before Moving
One of the most important things to make sure you have time for is, together with your loved one, to take a comprehensive tour of the facilities, amenities, and grounds of the care home they will shortly be relocating to.
The friendly staff members at prestigious and esteemed private care homes, such as stpetersbury.com, will be more than happy to show your loved one around and to answer any questions or queries you or they may have.
Listen to Them
Although this next piece of advice does indeed sound relatively simple, the truth is that more often than you may realize, people tend to tell you what you want to hear rather than how they are truly feeling.
Listening to your loved one, regardless of the stage in which their dementia has progressed, is absolutely crucial, so you and the other members of their support circle can provide for them as best as you can throughout the moving process.
Encourage Socialization with Other Residents
Regardless of the age, gender, lifestyle, financial status, and perspective on the life of an individual, mixing with people and making new bonds and connections is vital for emotional health, even if they currently feel as if they do not want to socialize.
Understandably, your loved one will need time to get used to this new transition, but along the way, if you can encourage them to talk, both to you, other members of your family, the staff, and also other residents, the easier they will find such a monumental change. You could start by encouraging them to join one of the groups who meet for various activities in the day, just once a week in the beginning.
Frequent Visits
Finally, it is highly likely that once you have done everything you can, both in terms of the practical and emotional needs of your loved one to ensure their move to a private care home is as seamless and stress-free as possible, it is likely that you have not taken time for yourself. Leaving your loved one in their new home will, inevitably, be an emotional time, and this can be counter-balanced with the assurance, for both of you, that you will visit frequently. With people who are living with dementia, frequent yet shorter visits are always better, and spending time with them in their new environment, surrounded by photos of family and friends, is one of the best ways to help them settle in.