Digitizing photos for elderly person (When moving into a nursing home)

Most of us dread the thought of permanently moving our mother or father into a nursing home, even if we are fortunate enough to have an excellent selection of facilities to choose from. One benefit of this mainly awful process is the opportunity to Digitizing Photos from their collection which will help to maintain the family legacy in years to come.

Moving a loved one into a nursing home means giving up a certain amount of direct oversight and control and is also an admission that the person has passed a certain point in their health where self-care is no longer a possibility.

In this article, Digitize Media lists some of the things to consider when moving an elderly person into a nursing home for their children and their caregivers. The article explains important questions to ask the facility prior to move-in, and tips for anticipating and preparing for a loved one’s needs.

Lack of Space in Nursing Homes

While the nursing care home will provide the furniture appropriate to the resident’s needs, including a separate closet or clothing storage spaces, it is a completely different scenario to having your own house or flat.

Residents can bring items and personal effects with them to help create a meaningful and personalised living space, but this will probably not cover all the personal belongings that they have accumulated over their long lives so careful consideration must be made at this very emotional time.

Before Moving In

Be sure to visit the room your loved one will move into (or one very similar to it) to get a feel for the amount of floor and storage space there is.

Check to see if the nursing home will remove and store the provided nightstand, chest, or chair so that personal pieces of furniture can be brought into the room and do not encroach on space or limit mobility within the room.

Ask for a floorplan, or take your own measurements, as this will help ensure your loved one’s belongings fit without crowding the room.

You should check the following as each nursing facility will have different rules and regulations:

• Are bedding and towels provided
• Is the laundering of linen included
• Is there public and/or secure Wi-Fi access available
• Do they provide a TV or any personal care products
• Is it possible to bring a small refrigerator

What to Take to the Nursing Home

Aside from making the decision to move your loved one into a nursing home, helping them select what to pack and what to purge is one of the most difficult parts of this transition.

Nursing homes can sometimes help family members sort through homes, garages, and storage units full of belongings, furniture, and family heirlooms. Most senior citizens have been collecting personal items for decades, and it can be difficult for them to simultaneously “lose” their homes and most of their possessions.

Most nursing homes enable their loved ones to hold onto some family heirlooms, seasonal clothing, valuables, and other important belongings, and rather than throwing away the possessions, family members can disperse some of the belongings between them or rent a storage unit.

This helps elders feel they still have access to their possessions or at least that these things have been passed on to individuals who will cherish and respect them.

Clothing and Accessories

It is quite likely that your parents have accumulated a lot of clothing and accessories and all these will not fit into the wardroom in the room. This is a small guide to what to bring:

• Clothing must be warm and comfortable and easy to get on and off and able to withstand lots of washing and drying
• At least a week’s worth of clothing
• Accessories should not be too valuable or with sharp points or edges
• Soft, warm blankets or quilts on their beds add comfort, colour, and style
• A smaller lap blanket or throw is also nice to tuck around their legs or shoulders when they are sitting in an armchair or wheelchair
• A small TV, MP3 player, smartphone, tablet, or laptop should be clearly labeled with the resident’s name and, if possible, contain a GPS locator in case they ever go missing

Digitizing Photos

Your loved one will probably have a lot of time on their hands when they move into a nursing home and should be surrounded by things that will keep them engaged and entertained. This can include artwork, posters, and a wall calendar that is clearly marked with family members’ birthdays, holidays, important events, and family photos.

In fact, their photograph collection may be the last thing that wants to be thrown out at this challenging time.

If there are too many boxes of photographs to be taken to the nursing home, then Digitizing Photos is a good option so that your parent can view them online or on their computer whenever they want. You have two options here:

• Sort, label, and scan all the photos before your loved one moves into the nursing home. This may be possible depending on the time available before the move and if the elderly person needs assistance in the process
• Store the boxes outside of the nursing home and take the photos into the home box by box when you are ready to sort them. If your mother or father can sort the photographs this will take a lot of time and provide tons of enjoyment for them

When sorting the photos, it can be helpful to stick a small label under each photo or on the back to explain the name and relationship to your loved one of those pictured. This enables them to share their photographs without having the pressure of remembering names, faces, and relations all at once.

After the hard work of sorting the photos out then, it is easy to use a professional photo scanning company such as Digitize Media to help with Digitizing Photos of your loved one’s old photographs.

Please give us a call if you have any questions about Digitizing Photos.