When is the right time to move into a care home?

In a recent piece of research, Dr Kritika Samsi from King’s College London looked into the issue of the optimal time for a care home move, focusing on people with dementia. She found that when a move was considered earlier, those living with dementia felt they had a more active choice in the process and when they did eventually move to care home, they settled better. Actions such as going to have a look round, putting their name on a waiting list, booking for a respite stay or visiting a day centre at the care home were all stepping stones that helped inform a person’s understanding early in their dementia journey and made the move less daunting.

Links have been established between social isolation and the development of dementia – for example, a study led by Professor Jianfeng Feng of Fudan University in Shanghai, published in the journal Neurology in 2022, found that social isolation was linked to a 26% increased risk of dementia. For those who are older and frailer and no longer able to maintain their usual social activities, a move to the social environment of a care home could help lower the risk of developing dementia. For those who are already living with dementia, this social environment could help to slow the progression of the condition.

Being unable to live safely and manage the basics of daily life are, of course, key considerations. Closely linked to this may be the ability of the person who is taking on caring responsibilities. Often the person doing the caring is an elderly spouse also with health conditions or a relative who may be juggling work or other family demands. This person may not always be on hand to ensure the person is safe and carer burn-out is a real risk, especially as needs increase.

Whenever the move takes place, for a move to be successful it’s important to find a care home that is person-centred in its approach to care. At Pilgrims’ Friend Society, we follow our own bespoke Christian approach, The Way We Care, where each person is cherished as an individual and where there are opportunities to continue to flourish doing things they love.