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7 ways to make their room feel like home

Advice on moving in

Moving into a care home is a big step, so it’s important to make your loved one’s room feel as homely as possible.

Take the time to find out which personal belongings they want to bring with them and try these simple tricks to help them settle into their new home:

  1. Adorn the room with photos
    Photos of familiar faces help remind your loved one that they are loved. They are also effective at evoking memories from their younger years. Keep photos in accessible places for loved ones to look at with ease.

  2. Bring their favourite bedspread
    A bedspread from home brings some comfort and familiarity into a new environment. Bed sheets from home help create a room “just like home”, rather than an unfamiliar space.

  3. Decorate with their favourite colours
    If possible, paint their room with the same colour pallet as their bedroom at home to help create a familiar space. At Care UK, we always endeavor to create an environment that feels like a ‘home from home’ and by redecorating a room in the resident’s favourite colours.

  4. Take a piece of furniture
    Try to bring as many mementos from home to help ease the transition for your loved one. Pieces of furniture can hold sentimental value and can bring a sense of normality to a new environment.

  5. Create a space to host

    For some, hospitality would have been a big part of daily life, so help to create a space for your loved one to welcome guests. Whether it is a chair for visitors, or a kettle for making guests a hot drink, this helps your loved one retain more of their independence in the care environment.

  6. Memory boxes
    Create a memory box in the room which your loved one can fill with personal treasures and trinkets. It’s a nice activity to do with family members when they first move in, and helps those living with dementia recall memories.

  7. Bring familiar smells
    Every home has familiar smells that can be replicated with air fresheners, scented candles or potpourri. Smells can also be very evocative and can have strong associations for your loved one, so bring along their favourite scents.

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