Advice for relatives

In our experience, we find relatives overwhelmingly want the best for their loved ones. But the change in relationship from caring-parent to parent-to-be-cared-for can seem one of the most difficult transitions to deal with. When the time is right, allowing a care home to help can mean that the relationship continues as before, thereby avoiding the frustrations that can emerge when a family member is the carer.

However, finding yourself in this situation is understandable as, until a critical event happens, most people tend to push it to the back of their mind when other options may be available. But there are many positives to making an informed decision.

We often find our residents quickly develop a new independence and confidence because they know they are safe and secure. They also generally feel there is more dignity in being cared for by a sympathetic professional rather than an embarrassed relative.

Like so much in life managing change comes down to effective communication and informed planning. Of these, communication in the family is the undoubtedly most important in balancing wants versus needs. Sitting down together to talk is a vital part of reaching an effective solution.

There are lots of information sources out there, but we’d recommend coming to talk to us. Our knowledgeable advice is free and is absolutely without the hard sell. As a small family run company and we pride ourselves on helping you make the decision that is right for you and your relative – even if you decide to go elsewhere.

We have a knowledge base built on more than 30 years of running 2 small care homes and an extensive home care service. We’re proud to be small because we believe – and the research backs us up – that smaller means better outcomes. We can be more personal, more pro-active and more involved with both our residents and their relatives.

We value relatives’ feedback. So much so we have recently established a family association so we can sit down with the families of our residents to hear their views on our offering. For example at our recent meeting we discussed re running excursions that had proved popular in the past, and setting up Skype calls to allow contact when relatives are away or on holiday. We also received very positive feedback on our Mediterranean diet. If you are considering Nightingale’s, some of the relatives kindly said they would be happy to be contacted in confidence for an unbiased view on our service. If this would help your thinking, or you’d like to take part in a forum, contact us and we’ll put you in touch.

If you’d like to know more – call one of our empathetic team on 020 8460 2279