How To Maintain An Independent Routine In A Care Home

Independence is one of the most critical parts of life, and when people start to need help with certain parts of their daily lives, it can lead to concerns about the extent to which they can maintain their autonomy.

This is true for domiciliary care and assisted living, but can be a particular concern for people moving into a care home, but it is essential to know that care homes prioritise the independence of the people who live there, and will do everything they can to ensure they do not miss out on anything.

The key to retaining that independence is maintaining as much of a routine as a person feels comfortable doing. There is no need for anyone to feel like they need to lose their social life, their hobbies, interests or other important parts of their lives.

Care staff are there not only to help with basic needs a person is struggling with such as washing, dressing, preparing food and moving about, but also with facilitating a rich and independent life lived as autonomously as possible.

If someone, for example, regularly goes to a local social club or a meeting, the care team at the home will try to make arrangements to ensure you can still go to these, whether this involves staff members or other trusted providers.

Care homes have a range of activities each week and sometimes each day that a person can choose to take part in or not, which is a great opportunity to get to know people and make new friends.

The key is to avoid isolation and ensure that people have active lives whilst in the home, which often includes but is far from limited to exercise sessions.

Ultimately, staff at the care home will ask before, during and after a person moves in what would help them to keep their independence, keep social and keep active.