Moving into residential care

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EllaB
EllaB Online Community Member Posts: 26 Connected
edited September 2014 in Autism and neurodiversity
My older brother has Down’s Syndrome and has always lived at home with my parents. Now they are in their eighties, they are finding it harder to cope, so he is going to stay in a group home 5 days a week, and come home at weekends. The home is lovely and so far, he seems to like the idea, but it is very early days (he just moved in yesterday) and my worry is that, once the novelty wears off, he may want to come home. It would be great if anyone had any tips or advice for smoothing the transition, and for helping him to adapt to his new situation?

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  • Noah
    Noah Online Community Member Posts: 420 Empowering
    Guessing, lots of visits from family and friends help. Good communication with the staff is important. Trying to engage in as many different activity's at the home as possible. Maybe speaking to the person in charge of arranging activities and trying to get them to arrange things he will particularly like! Also trying to help him make his room at the care home his own is important, pictures on the wall etc. Really hope it works out well, changes like this are never easy for everyone, but sounds like it is going well so far.
  • abstractLucas
    abstractLucas Online Community Member Posts: 75 Connected
    How good is his sense of time? If he 'gets it' then maybe something visual like a monthly planner on the wall in his room to show days with Mum and Dad and days at the new place? Other significant events - birthdays, planned day trips could go on too, maybe photos if he doesn't read?
    As a separate issue I can imagine this was a really difficult process for you and your parents too, I hope it all goes well.
  • Natasha Brown
    Natasha Brown Online Community Member Posts: 108 Contributor
    My so. Always asks when he will come home when he goes to short break care but so long as he has his visual planner and they talk it thru with him which day will go home he is fine.
    A visual calendar with days when he will go home will be v important.
  • BusyOT
    BusyOT Online Community Member Posts: 76 Listener
    Hi, I'm sure the workers in the home will be helping him to settle. I would advise making his bedroom as homely as possible. Take his bedding from home, family pictures on the wall, favourite DVD's and music. I think it's important for him to have his favourite items with him to help him understand that this is his new home. It's also important to be consistent with language - perhaps the word "home" should mean his new home and "Mum's house" to mean his parents? It's often confusing when support workers say things like "are you going home this weekend?". I'm sure going to visit his parents won't be the problem but going back to his home might be and the photos (or communication supports) will be important then. It might also be good to have an incentive to go back home - favourite dinner or activity on the day he goes back. Do let us know how he is getting along!

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