Wellbeing


Enhancing the process of moving into a home


Sue Goldsmith, director of care quality and dementia, The Care Home Coach, considers how those moving into residential care might feel and how, with a little more consideration and understanding from staff, that experience may be enhanced


The care home environment has become the final home for an increasing number of elderly people over the past four decades. As the make up of the British family changes, reliance on the extended family has become less and less common, increasing the likelihood that elderly relatives will be cared for within a shared home environment. Moving into a care home is an experience that hundreds, possibly thousands, of elderly people face every week and therefore staff may see the coming and going of residents as a regular occurrence. But how might it feel for the person having to move home? Is enough consideration given to the life-changing move and are processes in place to support an elderly person and their family when making it? As the culture of care shifts towards a more collaborative approach to offering support, understanding and validating feelings and developing empathy, consideration at this important time can help staff to be more sensitive and understanding when a new resident moves in. Moving into a care home is a major life change and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Everyone has a role in making sure that the new resident is made to feel at home, but what does home feel like and what does it represent? When we consider that home may not be all about bricks and mortar but is instead a concept upon which we construct all that makes us feel safe, we can start to understand the impact of moving home, especially as this can often signify starting over at a point in time when a person feels least able to do so.1


Professionals within the care industry see a lot of new admissions and while it continues to be viewed as a clinical process, there will be a continuation of disregard for the true depth of feelings that people in this situation may experience. The mixed emotions that can be


experienced by anyone during the process of moving home should be taken into account when considering the feelings of an elderly person moving into a care environment. In addition, the individual is likely to feel a sense of loss for all that is familiar as well as for many of the physical belongings that they hold dear. It would be fair to say that this promotes feelings of fear on so many levels and not just for the person moving home, but also for their family members who may be concerned about the levels of care that will be provided as well as guilt-ridden over their failure to be able to care for their loved one at home. Fear can be felt in relation to the move into an unknown community, possibly knowing that this move will be their last, as well as feelings of vulnerability due to frailty or ill health. Then there are the practical considerations. How much will it cost? Am I going to be able to afford it? What happens if my money runs out – will I have to leave? These are all serious concerns, as is the fear of the reputation that care homes have and the horror stories that are regularly seen in the mainstream media. In a home where staff don’t try to empathise, feelings of terror can be reinforced and perpetuated as a


January 2018 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


person quickly starts to lose their sense of personhood. Becoming known by a room number or by the significance of a medical or psychological condition depersonalises an individual, adding to that sense of loss of control over one’s life.


Decision-making


As always, preparation is crucial and thought needs to be given to the situation right from the pre-moving in assessment stage. Think carefully about the information that the staff team will need to enable them to offer support to the person both physically and emotionally and how this information is best gathered. It is not enough to merely ask questions relating to physical conditions and risks; information also needs to be gathered in order to ensure that an holistic decision can be made about whether your home can meet the individual’s needs.


Information about their physical needs can easily be gathered from hospital notes or conversations with social workers, but how do you gather information about the essence of the person; for example, their fears, their idiosyncrasies, their sense of humour and their aspirations? Naturally, it will not


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©Katarzyna Bialasiewicz photographee.eu


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