It’s understandable that you or anyone you know might be apprehensive about moving into a care home, but part of that might have to do with the connotations that they’ve built up over time. The fact of the matter might be much more positive and something that you’re more interested in. However, this isn’t a conclusion you’re going to come to without looking into the reality of the situation.
Breaking down the misconceptions around care homes can make you much more likely to look at them with a balanced judgment – understanding when they might be a sensible decision and even when they don’t make sense for you.
Inactivity
Part of what might put you off about the popular image of care homes is simply that they’re usually associated with a certain lack of activity or excitement. This is not to say that this is all you’d want out of one in the first place, but it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to think of this lifestyle shift as being such a blatant downgrade. You want something to look forward to.
Fortunately, many care facilities, such as morriscare.co.uk, aren’t just focused on providing you with the help that you need, but they’re also aiming to provide residents with a varied and enriching schedule. Depending on the activities provided or what you’re interested in, this could enable you to lead a much more fulfilling lifestyle than you currently do – especially when you take into account the social element on offer.
Visitation
Another fear that people often have is the kind of contact they’ll have with their loved ones once they’ve moved into residential care. Some might feel that without the need to see them so regularly, contact might dip below a level that you’d like. It’s important to be prepared for this outcome in a way – you have to be aware that other responsibilities in their lives are going to impact their schedules.
That being said, it’s likely that if you’re living in an area that’s convenient to visit, you’ll still see your loved ones on a regular basis. It’s important to talk to them about this so that you can try and arrange some sort of schedule, and it might even be an opportunity to explore the surrounding area of the place where you find yourself living.
Inside All the Time
That might be one of your primary concerns – that this is going to lead to a situation where you begin to feel confined. Many care homes are going to make it a priority to have regular outings in order to specifically counter this feeling. Others might have gardens that the residents can spend time in or even get involved with gardening in, making it feel like something that’s more personal to you. Time spent outside is important for your health, and this is something that care staff will always be aware of. When choosing a care home to begin with, you might even want to make it known that this is a priority of yours.
