Moving To A Care Home In A Different Area

A Journey of Change and New Beginnings

Moving a loved one to a care home is one of life’s most emotionally complex decisions. When that move involves relocating to an entirely different area, the feelings and considerations become even more layered. If you’re reading this, you’re likely navigating this challenging journey right now, and we want you to know that your concerns, hopes, and even apprehensions are all completely natural.

Whether you’re considering moving your parent closer to your home, seeking specialised care unavailable locally, or helping them return to an area they’ve always cherished, this guide aims to support you through each step with practical advice and emotional understanding.

Why Families Consider Moving to a Care Home in a Different Area

Behind every decision to relocate a loved one lies a deeply personal story. Understanding your own motivations can help bring clarity during what can be an emotionally turbulent time, while also helping you explain the decision to your loved one in a way that resonates with them.

Bringing Family Closer Together

For many families, geographic distance creates a painful barrier to providing regular support and companionship. The emotional toll of only managing occasional visits can be significant, both for you and your loved one. Many families find that moving a parent or relative closer transforms their ability to participate meaningfully in their care and daily life.

Moving a loved one closer can:

• Allow for more frequent, relaxed visits rather than occasional longer ones
• Enable family to respond quickly if health concerns arise
• Make it easier to participate in care planning meetings and social events
• Provide peace of mind knowing you can be there when needed

Accessing Specialised Care

Sometimes the move is driven by the need for specific expertise that isn’t available locally. Different regions often have care homes with particular specialisations that might better address your loved one’s evolving needs.

We’ve seen many families make the difficult decision to prioritise specialised care, even when it means moving further from familiar surroundings. When the right expertise makes a tangible difference to quality of life, most families find the adjustment worthwhile, despite the challenges of relocation.

We know that for our Lowmoor Nursing Home, which offers more specialist and complex care services, we find many residents come from the wider Nottinghamshire and East Midlands regions than just Mansfield or Kirkby-In-Ashfield.

Returning to Meaningful Places

For some older adults, returning to an area where they once lived can provide profound comfort. Places hold memories and emotional significance that can be deeply nourishing, especially during periods of transition.

The familiar sights, sounds, and even the distinct quality of light in a meaningful location can provide anchor points for those experiencing cognitive changes. For many older adults, returning to a place of personal significance can spark joy and connection when other forms of memory are fading.

Financial Considerations

It’s important to acknowledge that care home costs vary significantly across different regions of the UK. For families facing financial constraints, relocating to an area with more affordable care options can make a substantial difference to long-term sustainability.

While this practical consideration might feel uncomfortable to discuss, being realistic about financial aspects prevents future distress and ensures the chosen care arrangement can be maintained without constant worry about costs.

Planning the Move: Essential Considerations

Researching Care Homes in the New Area

The challenge of finding the right care home intensifies when looking in an unfamiliar area. Without local knowledge or the ability to visit easily, you’ll need a more structured approach to your search.

Going Beyond Basic Information

When researching from a distance, it’s essential to look beyond websites and brochures. Virtual tours, video calls with management, and detailed conversations with staff can provide valuable insights that might otherwise only be gained through in-person visits.

Consider these research approaches:

• Request detailed CQC (Care Quality Commission) reports for potential homes and look at reviews
• Arrange tours of the home and go at different times of the day
• Speak with the care home manager about their approach to settling in new residents
• Ask about the resident mix, activities programme, and typical daily routines
• Enquire about local GP surgeries and how medical care is coordinated
• Research the surrounding area for amenities, transport links, and places of interest

The Value of Patience

While you may feel pressure to make quick decisions, taking time with this research phase is invaluable. Many families later reflect that extending their search even by a few weeks led them to find a much better fit for their loved one’s personality and needs. This patience, though difficult in the moment, often leads to better long-term outcomes.

Navigating the Financial Landscape

Moving between different local authority areas creates financial complexities that require careful navigation. Understanding these differences before committing to a move can prevent significant stress later.

Local Authority Funding Considerations

If your loved one receives local authority funding, this can become particularly complicated. The process isn’t always as straightforward as transferring funding from one authority to another. Early conversations with both the current and potential new funding authorities can help clarify the process and prevent unexpected challenges.

Key financial considerations include:

• Researching care home fee variations between regions
• Discussing with current funding authorities how support will be managed during a move
• Understanding which local authority will be responsible for care funding after the move
• Calculating additional travel costs for family members
• Budgeting for the moving costs themselves

Professional advice can be invaluable during this stage. An advisor specialising in care funding can help navigate the complexities and ensure financial arrangements remain sustainable in the longer term.

Ensuring Healthcare Continuity

For many older adults, especially those with complex health needs, maintaining consistent healthcare during a transition requires thoughtful planning and clear communication.

Healthcare continuity isn’t just about transferring medical records—it’s about ensuring the new care team truly understands the nuances of someone’s condition and care preferences. Creating detailed health summaries that go beyond basic medical history can help new carers quickly understand not just what care is needed, but how it’s best delivered for your loved one’s comfort and wellbeing.

Essential healthcare transition steps include:

• Arranging for complete medical records to be transferred to the new GP
• Ensuring any ongoing treatments or therapies can be continued
• Identifying specialists in the new area for specific health conditions
• Creating a comprehensive health summary for new healthcare providers
• Discussing medication management during the transition period

Working collaboratively with both current and future healthcare providers helps prevent gaps in care and ensures vital information isn’t lost during the transition.

Addressing Emotional and Social Needs

The emotional impact of moving away from familiar surroundings is profound and deserves careful attention. For many older adults, the social connections in their community represent a lifetime of relationships, and the prospect of leaving these behind can trigger feelings of grief and anxiety.

Acknowledging the Emotional Journey

Many older adults may not directly express their concerns about leaving friends and familiar places behind. They might focus on practical matters while harbouring deeper emotional worries. Creating opportunities to acknowledge these feelings can help process the change in healthier ways.

Consider these approaches to support emotional wellbeing:

• Have open conversations about how the move might affect existing relationships
• Research social activities and community groups in the new area
• Explore technology options for maintaining connections with friends left behind
• Discuss with the care home how they support new residents in building social connections
• Plan for regular communication with distant friends and family

Creating space to acknowledge both the positive and challenging emotions about the move helps everyone process this significant life change more healthily.

Practical Steps for a Successful Transition

Before the Move

The weeks leading up to a care home move involve numerous practical tasks. Creating a structured approach helps manage the workload while ensuring emotional needs aren’t overlooked.

Creating a Thoughtful Plan

A moving journal or dedicated notebook can help track both practical tasks and emotional aspects of the transition. This approach helps ensure that important details aren’t forgotten while also creating space to acknowledge feelings and special moments during this significant life change.

Key preparation steps include:

• Creating a detailed moving timeline working backwards from the moving date
• Approaching decluttering and downsizing with sensitivity and patience
• Arranging visits to the new area if possible to build familiarity
• Booking appropriate transport with consideration for comfort and needs
• Notifying relevant organisations about the change of address

Taking a methodical approach to these practical tasks creates space to attend to the emotional aspects of the move, which are equally important but sometimes overshadowed by logistics.

During the Move

The moving day itself can be physically and emotionally demanding. Having clear plans while remaining flexible helps the day proceed as smoothly as possible.

Prioritising Comfort and Dignity

Involving your loved one in the moving day process rather than making them feel like a passive participant can significantly impact how they experience the transition. Simple touches like playing favourite music during the journey, stopping for a pleasant lunch break, or carrying a cherished item can transform the moving experience from purely practical to more personal and dignified.

Helpful approaches for moving day include:

• Packing a clearly marked essentials bag with medications, comfort items, and immediate necessities
• Building in plenty of time for rest breaks and unexpected delays
• Ensuring appropriate clothing, snacks, and drinks are available
• Keeping contact information for both care homes readily accessible
• Organizing important paperwork in a secure, easy-to-access folder

Having a trusted family member or friend accompany your loved one provides valuable emotional support throughout what will inevitably be a tiring day.

After the Move

The initial weeks in a new care home are crucial for successful adjustment. This period requires patience, understanding, and proactive communication to help establish new routines and relationships.

Creating a Sense of Home

Rather than attempting to perfectly arrange everything on the first day, consider a gradual approach to personalising your loved one’s new space. Observe how they interact with their room and which items bring the most comfort before making final decisions about arrangement and decoration.

Supporting adjustment includes:

• Maintaining frequent communication with care home staff about the settling-in process
• Gradually personalising the space with meaningful items and photographs
• Working with staff to establish comfortable routines that incorporate preferences
• Helping facilitate connections with other residents with similar interests
• Addressing any concerns promptly before they become more significant issues

Remember that adjustment takes time. There will likely be ups and downs during the first few months, and this is entirely normal as everyone adapts to new surroundings, relationships, and routines.

Special Considerations for Different Circumstances

Moving with Dementia

For people living with dementia, changing environments requires particularly sensitive handling and additional support. The familiarity of surroundings plays a crucial role in providing security and reducing confusion.

Creating Continuity Amid Change

Finding creative ways to maintain continuity during a move can significantly ease the transition for someone with dementia. This might involve recreating familiar sensory experiences, maintaining consistent daily routines, or ensuring treasured comfort items are immediately available in the new setting.

Supportive approaches include:

• Choosing a care home with specific dementia expertise and appropriate environmental design
• Allowing extra time for gradual adjustment and orientation
• Bringing familiar objects, photographs, and items with meaningful sensory qualities
• Creating a detailed life story book to help new staff understand the person’s background
• Considering a phased transition with short, positive visits before the permanent move

Working closely with dementia specialists and the new care team helps develop strategies tailored to the individual’s specific needs and abilities.

Moving for End-of-Life Care

When relocation is necessary during palliative or end-of-life care, additional sensitivity and sometimes urgency are required. This type of move involves particular emotional challenges for everyone involved.

Focusing on Comfort and Meaning

When moving someone receiving end-of-life care, being transparent with the new care team about prognosis allows them to focus immediately on what matters most—comfort, dignity, and meaningful moments—rather than lengthy integration plans. This honesty enables a more appropriate approach from the very beginning.

Important considerations include:

• Prioritising pain management and comfort during the moving process
• Ensuring advance care plans are clearly communicated to the new care team
• Discussing spiritual or religious needs and how these can be supported
• Planning how family and friends will be accommodated for visits
• Making sure cherished comfort items are immediately available in the new setting

The focus during this type of move should be on minimising disruption while maximising quality of life, with attentiveness to both physical comfort and emotional wellbeing.

Working with the New Care Home

Building Effective Relationships

The quality of relationships with the care team significantly impacts both the care experience and peace of mind for families. Taking a collaborative approach from the beginning sets a positive foundation.

Partnership in Care

Sharing not just clinical care needs but also personal stories, preferences, and characteristics helps staff see your loved one as a whole person with a rich life history. These details enable more personalised care and meaningful interactions.

Effective relationship-building includes:

• Attending care planning meetings whenever possible, even if initially via video call
• Sharing detailed information about preferences, routines, and personal history
• Learning key staff members’ names and roles
• Expressing appreciation for good care when you observe it
• Raising any concerns promptly and constructively

Remember that care staff become important partners in supporting your loved one’s wellbeing, and investing time in these relationships can significantly enhance the care experience.

Monitoring and Reviewing Care

After the move, ongoing attention to how care is delivered helps ensure standards are maintained and any issues addressed promptly. This is particularly important when distance makes regular visits more challenging.

Regular review meetings with the care home manager provide structured opportunities to discuss progress, address concerns, and adjust care plans as needed. For families managing care from a distance, video calls can offer valuable insights into how your loved one is settling in between in-person visits.

Effective care monitoring includes:

• Scheduling regular review meetings with the care home manager
• Using video calls to stay connected when you can’t visit in person
• Listening carefully to feedback from your loved one about their experience
• Keeping a record of any concerns or questions
• Understanding the care home’s complaints procedure

Being actively involved in care monitoring helps ensure continuity and responsiveness to changing needs, even when you can’t be physically present as often as you might wish.

Getting Support During the Process

Moving a loved one to a care home in a different area can be emotionally and practically demanding for family members too. Recognising when you need support and knowing where to find it is important for your own wellbeing.

It’s common to experience complex emotions during this process, including guilt, grief, relief, and anxiety. Acknowledging these feelings rather than suppressing them helps maintain your own emotional health during a challenging time.

Support resources include:

• Local carers’ organisations that offer advice and emotional support
• Online forums where you can connect with others in similar situations
• Professional counselling if you’re struggling with difficult emotions
• The care home’s family support services
• Sharing responsibilities among several family members where possible

Taking care of your own physical and emotional wellbeing isn’t selfish—it’s essential for sustaining your capacity to support your loved one through this significant transition.

How Lidder Care Can Help

At Lidder Care, we understand the challenges involved in relocating to a care home in a new area. Our experienced team provides comprehensive support throughout this transition:

• Detailed pre-admission assessments that can be conducted remotely if needed
• Virtual tours of our care homes for those unable to visit in person
• Support with coordinating transport arrangements from different regions
• Comprehensive settling-in programmes tailored to new residents
• Regular updates for distant family members
• Help with local healthcare registration and specialist referrals
• Connection to local community resources and support networks

Our Newgate Lodge Care Home in Mansfield and Lowmoor Nursing Home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield welcome residents from across the UK, and we have experience in managing smooth transitions regardless of distance.

Final Thoughts

Moving to a care home in a different area represents a significant life change that brings both challenges and opportunities. With thoughtful planning, open communication, and appropriate support, it can lead to improved quality of life and new positive experiences.

Remember that adjustment takes time for everyone involved, and patience is key during the transition period. By focusing on the reasons for the move and the benefits it brings, while acknowledging the difficulties, you can help create a positive framework for this new chapter.

If you’re considering a move to one of our care homes in the Mansfield area, our friendly team is always available to discuss your specific circumstances and how we can support a smooth transition. Contact us today or call our team on 0330 223 6600 to start the conversation.