Moving Care Homes - What’s your experience

Wishing20

Registered User
Feb 27, 2020
59
0
Hello - I’m moving my Mum from her Care Home where she’s been for 11 months, for lots and lots of reasons, but I’m feeling apprehensive about how she will feel and how she will settle into the new Home. If you have experienced this yourself could you please let me know your story and any tips or advice. Thank you.
 

Sarasa

Volunteer Host
Apr 13, 2018
7,195
0
Nottinghamshire
I've no experience of this -yet, but I may well be moving my mother later this year, so would also be interested in any replies. This isn't due to any problems with her current home, just that I'm moving a 130 miles away.
I assume you've had as good a look as you can at the moment at the home you are moving her to, and think it will address the concerns you have at the current home?
I think making sure her new room is as like her old one as possible at least at first seems a sensible idea, as would trying to organise things that the move is as stress free as possible.
I'm sure people who have actually done it will be along shortly with their ideas.
 

Disney88

Registered User
Sep 22, 2019
14
0
I moved Mum in December 2020 to a Nursing Home, as her Care Home were unable to continue to manage her needs. Mum had been at the Care Home for the previous 15 months . The move went pretty much perfectly. I used a private ambulance for the 15 mile transfer and although very expensive they were worth every penny and took the pressure of the physical move totally off myself. Mum had 14 days in quarantine in her new room even after a negative Covid test, but even this did not cause any issues. The room was set up with all of Mum’s special belongings and photos, so this probably gave her some comfort. I wrote my own ‘all about Mum’ with a history of her life, family, likes and dislikes etc which the Nursing Home has found really useful. Mum has settled well- but this may be down to the severity of Mum’s Alzheimer’s and her lack of realisation that she has even moved.
 

Saddaughter

New member
Jan 23, 2021
2
0
My mum needs a nursing home as the care home seem unable to manage her Alzheimers, I am also trying for mum to return home to me, but it may not be possible due to the amount of care she now needs, my problem is that social services won't look at nursing homes, just another care home which would probably be as inadequate as the one she's in. I really don't know what to do, so I hope your mum's move has a happy ending.x
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
Hi @Saddaughter

Im sorry to hear about your mum. Does your mum need specific nursing care, or is it just that the care home she is in now cannot meet her needs?

Care homes are not all the same, they can all set boundaries on what they will and will not accept. Some will not accept people who wander and go into other peoples rooms, some will not accept mobility problems and do not have hoists, some will not accept any sort of aggression and problems with personal care or incontinence.

Other care homes (usually the EMI care homes) will accept all of these. The one mum was in accepted all of this and also would care through End of Life, so mum was able to stay there right up to the end and passed away in her care home.

If your mum does not require specific nursing care, then there is almost certainly another care home that could meet her needs. The care homes that SS are looking at will want to assess your mum before accepting her. If her needs are too great for them they will not accept her. SS cannot insist that a care home takes her if the care home does not feel able to meet her needs. If she requires nursing care then none of them will accept her and SS will have to start looking at nursing homes.
 

Wishing20

Registered User
Feb 27, 2020
59
0
So I moved my Mum last week and it went better than I could have expected, this is an indication of how her Alzheimers has progressed. I think she was a little bewildered on the day but went along with it and I got to see her which was amazing and settle her in her new room. I moved her to a Home where her room opens onto a garden and the Home has much fewer Residents than her last place and they rarely allowed visits, I’m now allowed screened visits 3 times a week. My Mum is doing really well. She loves seeing the outside and breathing fresh air. I could feel she was suffering from being locked in on a first floor at the other Home and she was not allowed access to their garden as the Dementia unit was on the first floor. Long may this continue as my Dad now has Dementia and can join her in the future should this become necessary. We will delay this as long as possible with the current restrictions at Care Homes, these days it means you will rarely see your family and can’t go out!! :(
 

Wishing20

Registered User
Feb 27, 2020
59
0
Thank you everyone.... it was not done lightly, it was an absolutely enormous decision which caused us many sleepless nights. Brought about because of her previous Home implementing lock down due to Covid for most of the year and a real lack of communication. We had considered bringing her back home during the year, but sadly we realised we would not be able to give her the that Care that she needed. Tough times right now for our beloved in Care Homes. I just cant wait for the day I can take Mum out again for walks and to a cafe..
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
Good news the move went well @Wishing20

I moved my mother from a less than satisfactory home to a much better home and the move exceeded my expectations.

I`m late to the story, I`m sorry, but if anyone is not happy with the care their people with dementia are experiencing and are able to find something better It really is worth the worry and upheaval.
 

Wishing20

Registered User
Feb 27, 2020
59
0
Good news the move went well @Wishing20

I moved my mother from a less than satisfactory home to a much better home and the move exceeded my expectations.

I`m late to the story, I`m sorry, but if anyone is not happy with the care their people with dementia are experiencing and are able to find something better It really is worth the worry and upheaval.
I really do agree with you @Grannie G it is worth it. I spent month’s researching other Care Homes, I had my list of what my Mum needed and what we wanted and eventually, through a recommendation found a more suitable Home. Our family had several meetings with the Manager and were satisfied that this was the right place. We have not been disappointed. If anything, I just wish I’d done it sooner. The only thing that stopped me was that I kept thinking her last CH would get better, it didn’t!