Everyone has different needs when they reach a certain age. Many elderly family members maintain active and independent lives, whereas many others experience significant difficulties around caring for themselves without assistance and may need to consider senior living options. If you have decided with your relative to try a residential care home, it can be daunting to face the prospect of helping them settle into their new environment and adjust to all the changes. Here are a few tips to keep in mind that will help ease the process.

Choose a Good Care Home

The most important step in helping your relative move into a care home is to find and evaluate a good care home in the first place. Make sure to do plenty of research before making a final decision as this will have a huge impact upon your family member's quality of life. Involve them in the decision as much as possible to help them feel more in control. For example, looking for good care homes in Surrey might be important to you and your family depending on where you live.

Get to Know the Staff

When you find a potentially suitable care home, take the time to meet with the staff and have a conversation about your expectations of the home. Find out how they run the establishment and what kind of care your family member can expect to receive. If your relative can make connections with the people who will be looking after them, this is a good start to adjusting in a new home.

Bring Their Belongings

Personalise your relative's room as much as the care home will allow. Bring sentimental items such as photographs and small pieces of furniture to help your family member feel more at home. Similar to when moving house, putting down roots can be as simple as decorating with your own possessions. Check with the home how much your relative can bring.

Visit Regularly 

Adjusting to a new way of life is understandably very difficult and may cause your relative some distress in the early days. Take the opportunity to visit them whenever you can so as to reassure them that you are still there for them and still want to see them. Often the worries of moving into a care home revolve around feeling abandoned or forgotten, so do as much as you can to alleviate those concerns.

Have Patience

It isn't easy for anyone to move into a new place, least of all someone who might not have a full understanding of where they are going and why. This is why it is so important to be patient with your family member so as to give them time to settle in. It's not fair to expect them to adjust immediately to their new surroundings and you might find it difficult to see them unhappy for the trial period. However, resist the urge to act in haste. After some time, your family member will either grow to enjoy their new home or you can consider alternatives.