Moving into a care home can be difficult for both a new resident and their loved ones. To make their transition much more comfortable and ensure they have a great quality of life, you must look for ways to make them feel right at home.
To help a resident to feel settled quickly and ensure they do not long for their old address, read the following tips on how to make a care home feel comfortable and homely.
Allow Residents to Bring Pieces of Furniture
Allowing residents to bring pieces of furniture with them can help them to create a more familiar space, which can help them adapt to their new surroundings. For example, they might not want to part with their favourite chair or much-loved chest of drawers, as they might hold much sentimental value to them.
Provide a Suitable Pressure Care Static or Airflow Mattress
Every care home resident deserves a comfortable mattress that can help them to avoid various health issues, such as pressure ulcers. For this reason, you must provide the right mattress for their health and happiness.
For example, Airflow mattresses are ideal for use in care homes, as they will distribute weight over a large surface area to relieve pressure and mimic a resident’s movement when shifting in bed, which is essential for vulnerable people with or at high risk of pressure sores. There are also different options to meet the patients needs, such as Dynamic mattresses, static and hybrid pressure care mattresses. High risk pressure cushions can also help with recovery when the patient is out of bed.
Encourage Residents to Hang Photos
Photographs can help to keep memories alive for residents while allowing them to feel both loved and valued. Plus, it can personalise the space, make them feel comfortable in their new home, and they can also serve as a good talking point for both staff and visitors. For these reasons, you should encourage new residents to hang various photographs and showcase their treasured belongings, which can make them feel as if they have brought parts of their old home with them.
Feature Riser Recliners
Many elderly residents might have difficulty sitting down or standing up from a chair. To help them to maintain more independence in a care home and protect their health, you should provide riser recliners that can help them sit down and stand up comfortably. What is more, specialist riser recliners can improve residents’ posture while helping to manage pressure.
Permit Personal Bedding
While it might not always be possible, you could permit for your residents to bring their favourite bedspread or bedding with them to a care home. It could add a touch of homeliness and vibrancy to their room, which can make it look less cold and clinical. It could help a new resident to feel both happier and safer in their new surroundings.
Welcome a Resident with Flowers
As mentioned, moving into a care home can be daunting for a resident. There are, however, tactics you can employ to make them feel instantly at ease. For example, you could add a stunning bouquet to provide a welcoming touch; however, you should find out if a resident has any allergies before you do so. If they cannot have real flowers, add colour and texture into space with either dried or silk flowers. It is a feature that could make them feel happy to leave their old home behind.
Maintain a Clean Environment
Every care home must aim to set the standard when it comes to hygiene. Keeping every room and corridor clean each day will not only make residents feel comfortable in the environment, but it will decrease their risk of infection.
For this reason, you must ensure you stock up on high-quality hygiene control items, such as:
- Room decontamination products
- Vinyl Gloves
- Hand hygiene
- Infection control items (disinfectant wipes, PPE, sharp bins, etc.)
- Fresh bed linen
Install Patient Alarms and Sensors
Elderly residents will have a greater risk of experiencing a trip or fall, which could cause a painful injury or exacerbate a health condition. To ensure every resident feels both safe and secure when living in a care home, you must install patient alarms and sensors. By doing so, you will immediately be notified if a resident has an accident or a medical emergency. It will allow your dedicated team to act promptly to ensure a resident receives the attention and medical care they need.
The Right Food and Drink
Tasteless food or limited beverages can make a resident long for their old home. To ensure they feel happy in their new space, you must repeatedly ask for their views about both the food choice and quality. You can then use your residents’ feedback to provide them with consistently good dishes, snacks, and drinks.
Hire Friendly, Helpful Staff
The employees you recruit can improve or lower a care home’s standards. In addition to hiring staff with the right qualifications for a role, they must possess a friendly, helpful, and caring nature. By doing so, your residents could receive the best support and friendship to enjoy a great quality of life at a care home.
Ask About Their Preferences
If possible, ask a resident how they would like their room to be decorated or adapted to match their needs and preferences. For example, they might like an armchair to be moved closer to a window, or they might want the walls to be painted in their favourite colour. It could lift a resident’s mood each day and help them to feel more at home.
Respect Their Privacy
It is essential staff respect residents’ privacy as much as possible. For example, they must knock when entering a room and help them to maintain a level of independence, if possible. It will increase trust in your team and help a resident to feel more comfortable in their new environment.
If you are looking for high-quality supplies for your care home, such as airflow mattresses or infection control, browse our wide variety of products. You also can call our helpful team for assistance on 020 3301 6500, or you can email sales@medical-supermarket.com.
