When it becomes time to move from hospital into residential aged care, this can be challenging time for everyone.
Collaboration between hospital staff, families, and residential care teams is vitally important to ensure a smooth transition for people living with dementia. Understanding their unique needs and preferences, providing personalised support, and maintaining open communication, can enhance their well-being during this time.
While in hospital, it is important to create a comfortable and supportive environment as much as possible. Help hospital staff understand your loved one by sharing, or helping them share, their personal history, likes, dislikes, and daily routines such as preferred time to shower, eat, or sleep.
Preparing to move into aged care
- For families, plan a visit to the care home beforehand so that you can talk with the staff at the care home to understand how you will partner together to provide care.
- Both the care home and family should coordinate with hospital staff and care team by gathering assessment reports, discharge summaries, and medical information which includes any changes that may have occurred whilst in hospital
Moving into residential care:
How the family can help
- Work with hospital staff to make sure all information is available to residential care staff. Were there any changes in hospital that they should know about? The hospital team may have some tips they can share with the family and care home.
- Make the person’s room in the new care home welcoming and homely with photos, a favourite blanket, book, or other personal items like a comfortable chair.
- Keep in touch regularly with residential care staff to find out how your family member is doing.
- Using a tool like About Me can help the staff at the care home learn more about the person.
- Remember, settling into a new care environment takes time for everyone involved. The person living with dementia will need time to adjust to their new surroundings, and the care staff will need time to get to know them.
How residential care staff can help
- Reading reports and assessments from the hospital team is important.
- Meeting the person at the hospital before they move in can help them feel more comfortable as they have a familiar face as they settle in.
- Choose a suitable time for transition that allows for time to talk to family and the hospital care team. It is highly recommended that this happens earlier in the week rather than on a Friday.
- Incorporate family and hospital information into care plans and allocate time to get to know the person living with dementia and their family can make a big difference in their move to this new environment.
- Have the room ready with personalised and familiar items brought in by the family.
- Provide a quiet space if needed.
- Build a relationship with the family or friend carers – it can help to set expectations about the first few weeks.
Keep an eye out on the DSA website as we will be launching a suite of videos and resources to further support people living with dementia transitioning from hospital to aged care.