Our loved one just moved to a facility. How can I help them adjust?

Posted: November 20, 2014, 12:32PM

It's a difficult adjustment for caregivers and care receivers when a move takes place! Keep in mind that you are NOT giving up caregiving but your role is changing. You become the historian for your loved one. You paint the picture of the person in the facility's care. You become a mediator. If your loved one complains (!), you will need to assess what is happening and move on from there. You become a link for your family member, the community and the facility. It is important to be visible and involved in your loved one's care.

Basic information on your loved one can help in adapting. The facility will have medical information as well as contact information for family and emergencies. Keep in mind, the more the facility knows about your loved on, the more smooth the transition can be. This is especially important for the resident who has memory loss. The facility needs to KNOW your family member as the unique individual that they are, not just "Mary in Room 101".

There is other information we can provide that will individualize the care recieved by the resident. Information to consider include nicknames or what they like to be called, what their favorite (and least favorite) foods are, what did they enjoy (cooking, gardening, woodworking), did they work outside the home....all information that makes up who we are!

Click here for the guide on "Getting to Know You...Information on Care Receivers" to help get you started!