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Things to take to the home
Moving into residential care is a mini-version of moving home and, in a way, this makes it all the harder. Because she will only be able to take a limited number of personal items it can be difficult deciding what to take and what to leave behind. Chapter 7 gives details of what the homes will provide in the way of furniture and furnishings. At this stage it is unlikely that you would have found the home nor put Mum's name on waiting lists, so it is hard to be specific. The first step might be for Mum to compile a utopian list, ie all those things that, in an ideal world, she would like to have around her. Once you both know exactly what the chosen home will supply and what you need to bring, then you can whittle the list down. But the chances are that if you don't have specific items on the list in the first place, they will surely get overlooked in the stress of the actual move.
Quite often Mum's main concern is the photos she has collected during her lifetime. It is unlikely that she will be able to take all of them, so you might suggest taking some now and swapping them for others as the weeks go by. If they are not in albums, you could put this down as an activity that Mum could do once she is settled in.
Mum doesn't need to make this list all at one sitting. Indeed she is more likely to have a comprehensive list by adding to it over time as she remembers things. You can also suggest things for her to consider.
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