Top Tips on How to Downsize for a Move into a Care Home

Article Synopsis

This article gives some advice on how you or a loved one can prepare for a move into a care home. There will inevitably be some items which you won’t be able to take with you, purely on space grounds, so there are some helpful tips on how you can pass them on to someone else (including friends and family) or to sell them on.

There’s also a look at the situation at Baxendale Care Home, which is located in Whetstone, North London.

The blog will take around four minutes to read.

Moving yourself or a loved one into a care home is a difficult decision for everyone involved, not least because it will probably mean downsizing into a smaller living space, and parting with some possessions.

At Baxendale Care Home, we do all we can to make this process as stress-free as possible. Here are some of our helpful suggestions, which should help make your new surroundings feel more like ‘home’.

Baxendale Care Home – a 24-hour Care Home in Whetstone

At Baxendale Care Home, we offer around-the-clock care for all our residents, who may be long-stay, short-stay, in need of respite care, or suffering from specific conditions such as dementia (we have a dedicated unit, so we also function as a dementia care home for the Barnet area of North London).

Practical Considerations

The first step is to learn what the care home’s policy is regarding personal possessions. They should have a policy about what items you can (and can’t) bring with you. If possible, find out what the dimensions of your new room will be. This will help you realise what it will be practically possible to keep on space grounds.

Remember, the care home may often have communal facilities, so you may not need to bring certain items with you anyway.

You Don’t Have to Get Rid of Everything

The idea of giving up part of your life – in the form of possessions which have been accumulated over a lifetime – can be overwhelming for many people. However, you don’t need to make instant decisions about everything.

Hiring out some storage space is one solution – this allows you some ‘breathing space’ while you decide what to do with some of the items. You can always ‘bequeath’ some of the items to other members of the family who may have a particular attachment to, or interest in, some of your possessions. That way, you at least have the comfort of knowing they are going to a good (and known) home.

Items You Can – and Should – Get Rid Of

There are some items which it doesn’t make sense to keep. For instance, if all your meals are going to be provided for you, then there’s little point in keeping any kitchen equipment. Perishable foodstuffs – including all those old items at the back of the cupboard – should be got rid of on health grounds anyway.

And these days, there are so many more outlets through which you can dispose of items. High Street charity shops are one outlet, particularly if you have a favourite cause you would like to see benefit. The growth of internet sites such as eBay is another method of finding a new home for your possessions (and a more lucrative one than charitable causes).

Safeguard Special Memorabilia

There are some items, such as family heirlooms and photographs, which you really don’t want to get rid of. Make sure that, during any downsizing-related clearout, that there’s a designated safe place for photo albums, gifts from grandchildren and other precious possessions. In the chaos of moving, invaluable items can get misplaced or thrown away easily.

Try to make space for the mementos you or your loved one wants on hand and store anything there won’t be room for. This process has been made much simpler by the digital age. Rather than putting hard copies into photo albums (which again may take up valuable space), why not put the pictures onto a tablet or similar so they can still see them?

Remember, you should also have a designated ‘safe space’ for important documents, such as birth certificates and any paperwork which relates to the new home.

The Situation at Baxendale Care Home

At Baxendale, our rooms are fully furnished, so that residents don’t need to bring any larger items. However, you can still make it really feel like your room – you can hang pictures on the walls, and bring plenty of smaller personal items with you as well.

Unless you are a short-stay resident, you might need to bring your own TV set (but don’t worry, we can set it up for you!). Talk to us in advance if you have any questions, and we will be happy to give advice – you can also check out our previous blog post here.

We recognise that the first few days can be a difficult time, so we ‘pair up’ new residents with existing ones so they can settle in more quickly and get used to the routines, and we encourage regular visits from friends and family. We also encourage new arrivals to take part in our social activities, which we lay on inside and outside our home.

We can call ourselves a 24-hour care home in Whetstone as our staff rota is divided into three eight-hour daily shifts, so there should always be someone ‘on call.’

If you would like to become part of the Baxendale Community, either as a resident or a member of staff, click here and fill in the online form. You can also call us on 020 8445 1127 or email us at info@baxendalecare.org.uk

FAQs

Q: Does Baxendale Care Home have an official rating?

A: Yes, we are currently rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission. For more information about the CQC’s work, and how they arrive at their grading, see our previous blog here.

Q: What sort of social activities do Baxendale provide?

A: We offer a range of arts and craft sessions, various themed events (to celebrate countries or artists, for instance), exercise sessions (such as chair aerobics) and concerts from local musicians. Our staff also lay on outside visits, to theatres, the pub and places of worship. We also have an annual Garden Party in our spacious grounds every summer.
More details can be found here.

Q: Could your medical needs impact what you can bring into your room?

A: Yes. For instance, your room may need to be fitted with a shower hoist, which can transport you straight from your bed to the shower. This may affect the amount of space there is overall.