Nothing beats the comfort and warmth of being in your own home. It is a safe space where you can retreat to find peace and quiet amid the day-to-day hustle of life. This alone can make moving into a care home tough and a difficult period for your loved ones as they try to settle in.

The thought of leaving a familiar place where you spent decades and created memories can be daunting. Unknown surroundings and new routines can be even more challenging, which is why personalising their care home room is essential.

Making the room feel familiar, homely and welcoming can make all the difference in making your loved one feel comfortable.

Here, we give tips and ideas on how to personalise a care home room so that it feels comfy.

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Make regular visits before the move

Consider making pre-visits to the care home before officially making the move; these visits can significantly ease the transition for both you and your loved one. They enable them to become aware of and familiar with their new surroundings, explore, and locate everything, thereby reducing the feeling of disorientation once they move in.

Hang cherished photos

Photos of familiar faces, such as family and friends, help you maintain an emotional connection with them and reassure them that they are loved and not alone. Displaying pictures taken while on holiday or on special occasions can be great for reminiscing and sparking happy memories, helping them feel close to the ones you love.

Bring furniture from home

This can be their favourite chair, small furniture pieces, or even a bedside table that holds sentimental value to them. Bringing these mementoes from home helps to ease the transition for your loved one and make the place look a little like their old home.

Bring their favourite bedspread

One way of making their beds comfortable and look and feel like home is to bring their bedspreads and other bedding with them. That familiar texture and scent are deeply comforting to them as they adjust to the new environment.

A touch of their own choice of quilts, pillows, cushions and curtains brings out their personalities and tastes, lighting up the place and making the place feel their own

Make use of technology

Technology has made distances shorter by implementing applications that can help you stay connected with your loved ones, regardless of the distance or country you are in. Applications like Zoom, FaceTime, and WhatsApp allow you to communicate still and see your loved ones via phone or computer.

Creating a Memory box

A quick and easy way to make their stay memorable is to make a memory box. This is a treasure box that they can fill with personal items gifted to them, either before or during their stay in care homes. Items such as cards, handwritten notes, family photos, and pieces of jewellery evoke memories and stimulate cognitive function in loved ones in care homes.

Music

A popular saying states that “Music heals the soul.” In a new, unfamiliar environment, playing music that a loved one loves can be comforting and provide a sense of calm. Bringing a CD player, radio, or other music device can enable you to revisit cherished moments and relive precious memories.

Use scents for comfort

Smells are very evocative, and people can easily associate smells with their homes. Using similar air fresheners, scented candles, or essential oil diffusers in your loved one’s home can bring comfort and a relaxing feel to the care home room.

Create a good ambience

Whether you choose to use a table lamp, floor lamp, or overhead light for lighting, any can create a cosy and relaxing glow in the care home room.

Another way to personalise a care home room for your loved one is to decorate it with their favourite colours. Allowing them to choose can be an added benefit.

The Importance of Personalising a Room in a Care Home

Personalising a care home can make life more comfortable for residents. Having that homely feel ensures they feel safe and secure in their new environment.

Here is why a personalised space is important for your loved one

  • Although away from home, having personalised items that carry happy memories, such as family photos hanging on the wall, can help reduce anxiety and worry, giving you a sense of comfort knowing their presence is always with you.
  • Bringing items they cherish from home, such as furniture, to a care home room provides a sense of continuity from their past, thereby reinforcing their sense of identity.
  • Personalised items that have sentimental value to a loved one, bringing joy and boosting their emotional wellbeing.
  • Personalising a room for your loved one also boosts sensory stimulation and cognition. Viewing photos or videos from the past can trigger memories, which is good for them.
  • Photos or hobbies displayed can serve as conversation starters among themselves as they share personal stories with other residents or their caregivers, thereby boosting their social interaction
  • Allowing them to make choices about their room, such as theme colours, curtains, or even furniture they love, gives them a sense of control and promotes independence.
  • Finally, personalising a space at home through replication can bring great emotional comfort and a sense of safety and security. The feeling of having the same space as one at home, or bringing pieces of things they loved or from their past under one roof, can be reassuring when in a new environment.

The thought of moving your loved one into a care home can be complex for both you and them. However, making the effort to personalise their room and make it feel warm and homely with a touch of items from their home can ease the process, giving both of you some sense of comfort and peace.

The thoughtfulness and time spent transforming the room can leave a lasting impression on their lives, making them more emotionally connected to the space and, hence, settling in comfortably for the long term.