What should I expect when moving into a care home?

For many people, moving to a rest home or care home brings up a range of emotions such as a sense of loss but also anticipation. Moving involves quite a lot of planning and can feel daunting. Often, people worry about downsizing their possessions, losing the things that they take pleasure in and that give their life meaning. It can also be unnerving to move somewhere that is less familiar, and to think of having to give up some everyday comforts they have enjoyed. While it's natural to feel anxious, a move to a rest home will likely see your circumstances improve and probable that many of the things you were anxious about did not happen or were quickly resolved.

Some people welcome a change of lifestyle; for example, they may have had problems with mobility and found it difficult maintaining the social contacts they would have liked. With increased assistance, their mobility and lifestyle could be improved.

Choose your home carefully

An important and helpful principle to bear in mind is that if a careful selection of facility is made, by matching the person with the place that best suits them and their needs, then the more successful the residency is likely to be. There should be fewer adjustments to make and greater potential to take advantage of new opportunities. Use our checklist to help choose a rest home that best suits you. 

A new community

When someone moves into a residential care situation they are not just moving into a new neighbourhood, they are moving into an interactive community. It is this issue that often makes the selection of a residential care facility so difficult. For some people, this factor is more important than the physical environment such as the location, buildings, decoration, or gardens. As people usually relate best to a community where values, beliefs and ways of doing things are similar to their own, it makes sense to remember this when the selection is made.

Increased personal interaction

One of the greatest changes in a residential care lifestyle often has to do with the increased interaction with, and dependency, on others. The closer living arrangements of residential care can be more like living in a flatting, boarding, or hotel situation than any other type of accommodation. Some men say the closeness of the residential care situation reminds them of army days. This of course may have positive or negative connotations. For others, however, it has been a long time (if ever) that they have had to live at such close proximity to ‘strangers’.

You will, out of necessity, have to get to know many new people, including your fellow residents and staff. Some facilities are busier, livelier, bustling places than others. Choose a place that suits your personality. For example, some people find it harder than others to ‘mix’, or they may be the sort of person who enjoys spending a large part of the day on their own. It would be wise for this person to choose a rest home that can cater for and support these lifelong preferences. A busy, interactive environment may just lead to stress or unhappiness.

Certainly, for those who are lonely, residential care can provide increased opportunities for interaction and new friendships are often formed. Remember the degree of interaction varies from home to home; it’s your choice.

Privacy

Maintaining privacy is also something that a lot of people moving into residential care are concerned about – personal, health and financial privacy are all important.  Discuss any concerns you have with staff and/or management and when viewing a facility observe carefully how residents' privacy is respected before making your choose of facility. See also: I'm worried about my privacy.

New Activities and Interests

The facility will provide activities for residents throughout the week. This can be an opportunity for you to try some new activities and possibly introduce others to your own hobbies and interests. Prior to selecting a care home, talk to the activities coordinator about your interests and hobbies and see if these can be accommodated and incorporated into the activity schedule. There is also usually the opportunity to go on outings or visits to local community groups which can provide you with a way to keep up your community contacts, or make some new contacts.

Many facilities have computers available for residents to use. This can be a great opportunity to learn something new if you are not familiar with computers. Alternatively, staff will often be able to help you reap the benefits of the technology to keep in contact with friends and family. 

Routine

Imposed routine and order in the day, and the ability to come and go as one pleases, are significant factors to bear in mind when making a choice of residence. Some rest homes have a more formally structured environment than others. Talk with staff and other residents to find out the formality or otherwise of a particular residence.

Make your surroundings your own

Personalise your room with your own furniture, incorporating things of sentimental value and other items that you enjoy having close by. You may not feel like doing this in the first instance however it will make your room feel more like home and you'll find others respond positively to it too. A personalised room creates a more private feel which helps others respect your space. This in turn has a positive effect on you too.

Increased Quality of Life

Ideally a move into residential care should bring about an increased quality of life for the new resident. Provision of regular well balanced meals, monitoring of health conditions and medication and medical advice when required should assist in maintaining the best health possible. 

Many facilities have programme with a rehabilitative content which aims to maintain or, if possible, restore some of your physical skills or capabilities. If this is important to you, ensure the facility you choose provides such a programmes.

Living within a facility may also provide a greater sense of security for those who were previously living alone in the community. 

Final thoughts

Hold onto the things that are important to you; try to maintain your own style, your way of dressing, your culture and customs. It’s what makes you you! On the whole staff want to be helpful and make your transition and life at your new home as enjoyable as possible. Help them to help you by letting them know about the things that are important to you.