Moving to a care home can be a significant life change for seniors, and it can be challenging to adjust to a new environment. Care homes can often feel institutional, with clinical-looking rooms and common areas that lack personality and warmth. However, creating a homelike environment can help to make care homes feel more welcoming and comfortable for seniors. In this blog post, we’ll explore some ways that care homes in Saskatoon can create a homelike environment for their residents.

Personalize Spaces

One of the most significant ways to create a homelike environment in care homes is to personalize resident spaces. Residents should be encouraged to bring in their own furnishings, such as photos, artwork, and blankets. Personalizing their space helps residents feel more comfortable and less like they are living in a sterile, institutional environment. Care homes can also provide residents with the opportunity to decorate their rooms, so they feel like they have control over their environment.

Create Common Areas

Care homes can create common areas that feel like a cozy living room or family room. These areas can be decorated with comfortable furniture, soft lighting, and homey decor. Common areas can also be equipped with televisions, board games, and other forms of entertainment. Creating spaces where residents can socialize with each other or with family members can help to create a sense of community and belonging.

Provide Access to Nature

Access to nature can be beneficial to seniors’ physical and mental health. Care homes can create outdoor spaces such as gardens or courtyards where residents can spend time outside. Indoor spaces can also be decorated with plants or nature-themed artwork to bring the outdoors inside. Access to natural light and fresh air can help to improve residents’ mood and well-being.

Encourage Participation in Activities

Participation in activities can help to create a sense of purpose and meaning for seniors living in care homes. Care homes can offer a variety of activities, such as music programs, art classes, or exercise classes. These activities can help residents stay engaged and active and provide opportunities for socialization with other residents and staff members.

Offer Choice and Flexibility

Offering choice and flexibility is an essential aspect of creating a homelike environment. Care homes can offer flexible meal options, so residents can choose what they want to eat and when they want to eat. Providing a choice of activities and entertainment options can also help to create a sense of autonomy and control for residents.

Train Staff Members

Creating a homelike environment is not just about the physical space but also about the interactions between residents and staff members. Care homes can train staff members to provide person-centered care, which involves understanding and respecting each resident’s unique preferences and needs. Staff members should be encouraged to develop relationships with residents and create a warm and welcoming environment.

In conclusion, creating a homelike environment in care homes is essential for improving residents’ quality of life. Personalizing resident spaces, creating comfortable common areas, providing access to nature, encouraging participation in activities, offering choice and flexibility, and training staff members can all help to create a warm and welcoming environment. By creating a homelike environment, care homes can help residents feel more comfortable, connected, and valued.