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Breaking the stereotypes: What moving to a care home is really like
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Julie Wicks, Home Manager at Carpenders Park Care Home in Watford shared her thoughts on common misconceptions about life in a care home.
Julie has worked in care for 7 years; she is passionate about caring for older people. She started as a care assistant and has worked her way to the position of Home Manager.
Q1: How can families cope with the decision to move a parent into a care home?
When a family comes to see us at Carpenders Park Care Home, they are often exhausted, overwhelmed and feel they can no longer cope with supporting their family member at home. People often tell me they feel guilty about moving Mum or Dad to a care home, but I always say; ‘Don’t feel guilty, you’re giving them precious time back to spend with you as their son or daughter instead of as their carer’. By taking away the personal care tasks, families can spend time with their loved ones. Often, they haven’t sat down for a cup of tea with them for weeks, they are just too busy getting all the household chores done as well as the practical care tasks.
Q2: How involved can family members be once a loved on moves in?
It’s hard to let go sometimes, but we involve families in the care of their loved ones as much as they want to be involved, some people want to hear from us every day about how their mum or dad is. For others, they are happy to hand over the day-to-day details so they can spend time talking or reminiscing. The important thing is to take time to get to know each family, not just the person living with us. We become part of their extended family, getting to know their precious family member and support them to live their best and fullest life possible.
Q3: What’s your most important piece of advice for families looking for a care home?
Start early, there’s no harm looking around your local care homes and getting to know them before you actually need to move in. Waiting until you’re at crisis point just makes it stressful for all involved. If Mum or Dad has had a fall and is in hospital, they may need extra time to recover before going back home. You want to have a ‘go to’ place that you know will care for them as you would yourself. We always encourage local people to get involved with our home here, we have regulars at our coffee mornings who have developed friendships with both staff and residents. They love coming in and know we are here should they need us in future.
Q4: What do new care home residents worry about most when they first move in?
People often think they’ll have no one to talk to or the other people will be too poorly to offer any sort of companionship or conversation. I can’t emphasise enough that this is not the case! We have some wonderful friendships between residents here. Every morning Ted and Keith meet at the breakfast table and chat over their morning coffee. They both served in the forces, Ted in the Navy and Keith in the Army. They love nothing better than swapping stories about their time in the services. Getting to know people and their backgrounds helps staff too, they know what topics can get conversations started.
Finding a care home near me
Choosing a care home is a big decision, but it doesn’t mean losing your independence or connection. It’s about rediscovering joy, building new friendships, and giving families peace of mind. Start your search for the right care home near you today and request a brochure or book a tour of your local care home.
Country Court has care and nursing homes across the UK, you can call our friendly team to discuss your care needs on 01733911570, here’s a link to the Country Court exclusive special offers page.
