Preparing Your Kids for Visiting Their Grandparents in a Care Home
If one of your parents, or one of your partner’s parents, have recently been rehomed and are now residing in a care home, you may be a bit anxious regarding taking your children to visit them.
This is a completely foreign environment for any child, and one that they may find a bit intimidating and scary. However, there are ways you can give your child a gentler introduction to the environment and ensure the care home visit goes smoothly. Here are some suggestions…
Introduce it as a new home– You don’t need to go into detail about their grandparent’s health or what happens to people when they get older. You can simply introduce the care home as a new place of residence for your child’s grandparent. State that they have moved somewhere new where they can be with their friends, and they will have someone that cooks and cleans for them so that they don’t have to. A gentle introduction is usually the way to go about it. You may find that your child then has some questions, and if so, you can elaborate a bit further based on their reaction.
Getting out and about– If your parent is sufficiently mobile and could go out for lunch, this is probably the best option for your child. They will see that your parent is still able to do the things they did before, and so it won’t feel like so much of a change for them. Plus, it’s likely that your parent would appreciate the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Keep your child entertained – It is a good idea to take some toys with you so that your child is entertained and occupied while they are at the care home. After all, you would take toys with you if you were visiting a friend or going elsewhere, so why should this be any different? Some care homes even have resident pets, which can be a fun distraction, and staff often make a special effort with children too, which should help them to feel more comfortable.
Recognise that every child is different – Before approaching a care home visit, you need to consider your child themselves. After all, every child is different. Some children are more nervous than others. Some take every situation on their chin. Think about your child and adapt based on their personality. Your parent’s condition also needs to come into consideration too. If they are suffering from dementia and their behaviour has changed, you may decide that it’s best not to visit. There is no right or wrong answer, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself.
If you follow the advice that has been provided above, you should make it easier for your children when visiting their grandparent in a care home. The best thing to do is try and introduce it to your child in the sense that their grandmother or father has simply moved home and is now living with new friends.
Let me know what you did to make your child understand.
Much Love
Mumma
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*THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE POST*
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