Family care home
When an elder person has to move out of their own home and into residential care, it can be a traumatic time – especially if they are leaving a house they have lived in for decades into somewhere new where they don’t know anyone, but moving into a family care home can help to make the transition easier and help them to settle in quicker.
A residential care home is just that – a home, and it should feel like that for residents, and at Bright Horizon that is exactly what we aim to do.
This is our residents’ forever home, and we like to help them to live their live their life how they want to live it. With a ratio of one caregiver to each three residents, it means that they can give personalized care that is tailored to each resident’s individual wants, needs and strengths.
Family care home vs. Assisted living facilities
This is something that larger residential care facilities don’t have. When you are one person within a community of perhaps hundreds, then it is easy to feel lost, especially if you don’t know many, or indeed any other people there. Also, with such a place it can be difficult to learn you way around and get to know who the staff are. A family atmosphere it certainly isn’t.
However, at a care home where there are just a few residents, such as at Bright Horizon, where there are just a maximum of six, then it is easier to develop a family atmosphere because residents and staff can get to know each other quickly, and form long-lasting bonds between each other.
They also develop deep and trusting relationships with the staff and owners at Bright Horizon, who become part of their lives, from taking care of laundry and providing meals, to more personal care services. Here, there is very little turnover of staff, so it really does help to engender a family atmosphere.
In terms of care services provided, it is personalized to each resident’s needs – just as it would be if they were still in their own home.
Bright Horizon Senior Care
At Bright Horizon, a lot of time and thought has been given to making the Assisted Living Community as much of a family setting as possible.
To this end, there is a full-time activity director employed to ensure that there is always something happening at Bright Horizon, including a range of social events – geared to our residents’ interests, whatever they may be – and monthly field trips.
There are also things like exercise classes – keeping active is important for elder people, but it is only if people want to get involved. It is about personal choice – our residents can do as much or as little as they want to do – just as in a traditional family home.
Another key to providing a family atmosphere is that pets are allowed – after an assessment. Some care homes do not permit pets and that can be one of the most traumatic aspects of moving for an elder person – having to give up a companion that may have been with them for years. Pets are important for enhancing wellbeing in a person – regardless of age – and this is something recognized at Bright Horizon.
So, while it can be a big wrench for an elder person to move out of a home that they may have lived in for decades, going to a care home with a family ethos can help to make the transition as easy as possible. A family care home can also ensure that they settle in quickly and feel at home in their new home quickly and live their life happily, well and – most importantly – as they want to.