The Importance of Care Home Visits from Friends or Family

Article Synopsis

This article looks at why visits from family and friends is important to care home residents, and why we encourage them at Baxendale.

This article is a three-minute read.

Although we try to create a homely, safe atmosphere for all our residents, at Baxendale Care Home we recognise the importances of regular visits from family members and friends. Here we outline some of the principal benefits of coming to see your loved one while they are staying with us.

Baxendale Care Home – a Quality Care Home in Whetstone, North London

Baxendale is a 24-hour care home in North London, which has a ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission. If you want to know more about the home, its history and its future, you can watch this video, which was produced to mark our 60th anniversary.

It Helps in the Early Days…

Moving from one’s own home into a care facility can be difficult for many people, particularly if it means leaving the property they have occupied for many years. Family members and close friends can help ease the transition by being present during the early days, including on the day they first move in.

Just by setting up their room with familiar belongings and spending time together can make the unfamiliar feel more like home. Personal possessions such as photos and other small items are particularly valuable in providing some mental comfort.

For more information about how we help our new arrivals settle in, check out our previous blog post here.

…And in the Longer Term

Regular visits and consistent communication from family members helps alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, which are common challenges in care homes, even though at Baxendale we try to make everyone feel at home as quickly as possible (including laying on a full programme of activities). We recognise that family visits help give the resident a sense of identity.

For all our residents, but particularly those with dementia, seeing family members or friends can trigger positive memories, reduce confusion, and provide some mental comfort. Baxendale is a 24-hour dementia care home in North London, with a dedicated unit for those with the condition. This includes six specialist bedrooms, and a dedicated sensory room. Like all our residents, care is provided around the clock.

You Can Spot Problems Earlier than Staff Can

You will have known your loved one for much longer than any member of staff. So if there are any subtle changes – in their mental as well as their physical health – you may be better placed to spot them than we are, particularly in the early days.

This may enable quicker interventions, treatments and medication, improving their health in the longer term. You will also be in a good position to tell us about their personal habits, preferences and routines which we can try to accommodate or make allowances for as part of their care.

Contacting Baxendale Care Home

If you have any questions about any of our services, call us on 020 8445 1127, or email us at info@baxendalecare.org.uk. You can also follow this link and complete the online form.

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