How to Make Your Care Home Room Feel More Homely
Moving into a care home is a significant life change. Whether it's a permanent move or a short stay for respite care, adjusting to a new environment can be overwhelming. One of the most effective ways to ease the transition is by transforming your care home room into a comforting and familiar space. Making your room, or your loved one's room feel more homely can support emotional well being and promote relaxation. At The Porterbrook Care Home, we believe that a personalised, welcoming environment can make all the difference.
Let's explore how to make your care home room feel more homely - offering practical tips that honour sentimental value, enhance comfort, and reflect each resident's personality.
Bring Familiar Items from Home
Familiarity provides comfort. When moving into a care home, bringing cherished belongings from your own home can instantly create a homely feel. Whether it's a favourite chair, framed photographs, or treasured possessions, these items hold sentimental value and remind residents of fond memories and happy times.
Consider packing:
Family heirlooms that hold emotional value.
Favourite music CDs and a CD player for relaxing moments.
A cosy throw pillow or hot drink mug with sentimental meaning.
Familiar bedding or own sheets for comfort and continuity.
These personal touches help transform a new room into a familiar environment that supports residents' emotional well-being.
Use Favourite Colours and Soft Furnishings
Colour can have a powerful effect on mood. Decorating the room using the resident's favourite colours - whether through curtains, blankets, or cushions - helps personalise the space and create a positive atmosphere.
Soft furnishings like rugs, bedspreads, and upholstered chairs can add warmth, texture, and visual interest. Choose items that are not only comfortable but also safe and easy to maintain, keeping in mind the safety requirements of a care home.
Some great ideas include: a soft rug underfoot to add warmth, throw pillows in calming shades, curtains that let in natural light to brighten the space.
These changes might seem small, but furnishing creates an inviting space that enhances the overall well being of many residents.
However, it should be noted that if yourself or your loved one suffer with mobility challenges, rugs may not be the best idea as these can create trip hazards.
Display Photographs and Cherished Memories
Surrounding yourself with images of familiar faces and special occasions helps maintain a sense of identity and connection. Encourage residents to bring in framed photos of family members and friends, albums filled with cherished memories, and memory boxes containing small meaningful items like letter, trinkets, and souvenirs.
A memory box is a brilliant way to engage with positive memories and can be especially helpful for residents living with dementia, supporting a more familiar environment.
Add Familiar Scents and Sounds
Familiar scents can evoke powerful emotional responses and create a comforting home environment. Scented candles, essential oil diffusers, or air fresheners in a residents preferred fragrance are a great idea (where permitted by safety requirements). Scents like lavender, rose, or vanilla can promote relaxation and help reduce anxiety.
Sound also plays a role in making a space feel like home. A CD player with a playlist of the residents favourite music can bring comfort, stimulate memories, and promote emotional well being.
Encourage Use of Own Furniture
Where possible, bringing pieces of own furniture such as a bedside table, reading chair, or bookshelf can be incredibly grounding. These pieces often hold sentimental value and make the room feel more like an extension of one's own home.
Just one or two items from a previous home can give the room a sense of continuity, making the space feel more familiar and personal.
Create a Space for Hobbies and Interests
A personalised home room should also include space for things that bring joy. Whether its reading, crafting, knitting, or listening to music, setting up a small area for hobbies can support residents' sense of identity and help the room feel like their own.
Consider:
A reading nook with a lamp and bookcase
A crafting table with supplies
A radio or speaker for music and storytelling
Supporting hobbies not only improves emotional well being but also encourages resident to feel more engaged in their new environment.
Incorporate Personal Touches for Special Occasions
Celebrating special occasions like birthday, anniversaries, or holidays in the care home can make residents feel remembered and valued. Decorate their room with seasonal decor, handmade cards, or themed decorations that reflect their interests and traditions.
This thoughtful approach fosters a homely atmosphere and allows family and staff to share in the residents joy, enhancing the sense of community.
Choose Decorative Items with Sentimental or Emotional Value
Sometimes it's the smallest items that carry the most emotional weight. Items that hold sentimental or emotional value - like a childhood blanket, a well loved teddy bear, or a favourite painting - can make all the difference in helping a resident feel settled.
These decorative elements don't just look nice - they carry positive memories and create a supportive environment that reminds the resident of who they are and where they come from.
Ensure Comfort and Safety in Equal Measure
A homely environment must also be a safe environment. All items introduced to the room - whether own bedding, artificial flowers, or small furniture - should comply with the care home's safety requirements.
The balance between comfort and practically ensures the room supports the resident's physical health while still maintaining a sense of familiarity and individuality.
Involve Family Members in the Personalisation Process
Involving family members in setting up a loved one's room not only eases the transition but also help tailor the space to the residents preferences. Family members often know which items hold sentimental value or trigger happy memories, and they can help select things that reflect the residents personality.
Collaborating on room setup also reassures family members that their loved one is entering a welcoming environment that prioritises comfort and dignity.
By involving family members in the setup process can also create comforting memories surrounding the room itself, adding to the relaxing environment.
Create an Inviting Space for Social Interaction
In addition to private space, it's helpful to make the room inviting for social visits. Whether it's a comfortable chair for a guest, a small table for tea, or photos of friends and family, these additions make the space feel welcoming to others and promote social connections.
A friendly, inviting space encourages interaction, which is important for mental and emotional well being.
Make Use of In-House Facilities
Many care homes, including The Porterbrook, offer a range of in-house facilities that can help residents feel more at home. From communal lounges and gardens to activity rooms and therapy spaces, these shared areas can supplement the personal space of a residents room.
Encourage residents to personalise their en suite bedroom, but also to explore the wider environment and engage with the care home community. This balance helps them adjust more easily and feel part of a larger, supportive network.
Small Touches Make All the Difference
When it comes to how to make you care home room feel more homely, it's often the smallest touches that make the biggest impact. By incorporating familiar items, favourite colours, soft furnishings, and beloved mementoes, residents can begin to see their new room not just as a place to stay - but as their home.
At The Porterbrook, we understand that transitioning into care is deeply personal. That's why we encourage families to bring familiar items, celebrate special occasions, and create rooms that reflect the unique stories and experiences of our residents.
A room filled with cherished belongings, familiar smells, and the gentle sounds of favourite music doesn't just feel comfortable - it promotes dignity, independence, and a deep sense of belonging.
Are you preparing to help a loved one transition into care? Get in touch with The Porterbrook Care Home today to learn how we can support residents in creating a homely atmosphere that prioritises comfort, safety, and emotional well being.
