Moving into a care home can feel just as overwhelming as moving family home, as there are so many questions. What does your loved one need to take with them? Can they personalise their room, and what with? How many items of clothing do they need?
At LuxuryCare, we are here to help ease the load of moving your loved one into our care homes by making the process crystal clear. We recently wrote “The Ultimate Checklist For Moving Into A Care Home”, detailing all the admin tasks that need to be done before moving.
In this blog, we want to continue providing helpful content, moving on to the next step of the journey. Here, we have created a packing list for you to follow, which should answer any questions about what your loved one needs to bring with them.
Packing Guide for New Residents
As with any move, there are several categories of belongings to pack. To make your packing experience stress-free (and organised), we have separated our list into these categories so you can make sure everything your loved one will need is packed.
Clothing
- Day-to-day clothing – pack enough clothing for two weeks, and include comfortable items such as jumpers and cardigans
- Leisure and active clothing – we offer a variety of activities, from arts and crafts to chair workouts, so pack active wear and old clothing suitable for these activities.
- Nightwear – pack two or three sets of pyjamas and a dressing gown and slippers for extra comfort.
- Footwear – two pairs of shoes will do, along with slippers for indoor wear.
- Seasonal clothing – pack a hat, scarf and pair of gloves for winter and lighter wear for summer.
- Special occasion wear – we like a good celebration, so pack party clothes for a special occasion.
Personal Items For Their Room
We love to see new residents personalise their rooms and encourage you to pack home comforts that will help your loved one make their room feel like home. Items we recommend include:
- Photographs and artwork – family photos and beloved artwork can go on the walls in their room.
- Ornaments and keepsakes – special mementoes and memorabilia will remind them of their happy memories and family, making the space feel familiar and comfortable.
- Books and hobby items – pack favourite or new books to read and any items that enable them to continue their hobbies, such as knitting equipment or puzzle sets.
- Furniture – Most of our rooms will have space for an item of furniture, so if there is something particularly treasured, feel free to mark it to be moved with your loved one.
- Electronics and entertainment items – We are more than happy for your loved one to bring their TV, e-reader, laptop or tablet with them along with other personal electronics.
Toiletries
Basic toiletries that your loved one is used to will help them settle in. A new environment is enough to get used to without also needing to get used to a new-smelling body wash or different-tasting toothbrush – let’s face it, we are all set in our ways with the toiletries we use.
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Body lotion/ moisturiser
- Face products – face moisturisers and cleansers
- Shampoo, conditioner and body wash
- Hairbrush or comb
- Make-up and perfume
- Shaving equipment (for gentlemen)
- Nail varnish and hair styling products
Additional Essentials
Of course, not everything fits neatly into a category, so here is a list of the items that are easy to forget yet can feel like a must in day-to-day routines.
- Mobile phone or tablet, plus chargers
- Medicines
- Mobility aids such as walking stick frames or other equipment
- Glasses and hearing aids
We’re Here To Help
Moving into a care home can be difficult for everyone involved; your loved one will be leaving a home behind that, quite often, has been their home for many years. Plus, you and your family might be watching your family home empty.
The staff at the LuxuryCare care homes are here to support you and your loved one through this time.
Of course, our priority will be to help your loved one transition into their new home and lifestyle, so will be on hand to help you unpack and get to know the details of what lives where, who is in each photo and their routines.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we are, of course, on hand throughout the whole admissions process, so should you have any questions about what to pack or what to expect from the moving-in process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly staff.
Call us on 01202 037373 or complete our online contact form, and we will get back in touch with you with the answers.
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