My husband and I made the decision to move his mother into a skilled nursing facility due to her declining health after a massive stroke and us not being able to meet her caregiving needs any longer. Please no hate; we've prayed long and hard and believe this is the best option for her health/care and for my husband and I.
She will be going to a facility that accepts Medicaid which means she will have a roommate. Are there any items that are absolutely essential to bring with her when she moves in? Her speech therapist suggested a white board listening all her specific limitations (such as not being able to speak) so that there will be no confusion for anyone helping her.
Any ideas are welcome!
The white board is a great idea.
Is MIL able to communicate by pointing at pictures? Early in her stroke recovery, mom's speech therapist made her a simple book with pictures for bathroom, food, water, pain and a few otbers. Consider that.
My sister in law typed out a btief bio of my mom--who she was, her lines and dislikes (staying up late, getting up late, ice cream, etc) and taped it next to mom's bed.
Bring nothing valuable. Contact the facility laundress directly and ask if they label clothing or want you to do it. Make a detailed of all clothing and iyems that you bring.
Headphones for her TV are useful.
Thanks so much for the tips!
If she gets first dibs on a spot, see if she can get a view out a window.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Toiletries are probably included as r Depends. I put Moms clothes in sets so she would match. Otherwise the aides just grab the first thing they touch. She won't need a lot of shoes. Mom had 3 pairs, blue, brown and black. Whatever pair was left next to her bed was the pair the next aide put on her. I was looking for those canvas slip ons but she passed before I could find them. Socks, white. They will not match up to the outfit she is wearing. I had a problem with bras being put on. Mom couldn't have skin on skin because she broke out in an awful rash. Daughter explained that aides dress from the top down. Bra's were kept in the drawer with the socks. Daughter said by the time they get to them the top is already on. So, I put the bra on the same hanger as her set of clothes.
As said, take nothing valuable. Ask the laundress what the turnaround is for clothes being washed. Take maybe a weeks supply. I only took clothing for that season. I kept Moms other clothes in under the bed totes since I had no space for her clothing.
I also included her limitations. She had macular degeneration and couldn't see faces clearly, so I asked that anyone who addressed her identify themselves when they came in the room and to make an effort not to startle her. She also couldn't hear well, so please enunciate clearly -- not yell.
I never assumed everyone knew -- or needed to know -- her medical specifics. The nurses would read all that on her charts, but humanizing her was vitally important to me. All those places really appreciated having that information, because it lessened the time it would have taken to get to know her. Include some pictures, too, of her and her family.
Good luck and peace on your journey