Visiting and keeping in touch

Our teams are dedicated to helping  residents stay connected to their community and the people they care about

The importance of keeping in touch 

Moving into a care home is a big step, and we want your loved one to feel settled. Seeing the familiar faces of family members and friends will not only help your relative to feel at home, but it will also give you an opportunity to chat with team members about your loved one’s care and tell them about any changes in their needs, likes or dislikes. 

How we help you keep in touch

As part of our welcome, we support residents to design their own 'keeping in touch' plan, choosing from a range of communication options and technologies to stay connected with family and friends. In addition to visiting, your loved one may enjoy writing letters, sending regular emails or texts, having phone calls with you, or enjoying video calls with family and friends on the home’s tablet computers. Whatever their preference, we’ll make it easy for them and you to keep in touch and share experiences.

Visiting the home

We’re enjoying a return to in-person visits and activities in our homes, and there is no longer any need to book in advance to visit your loved one. Read more about our approach to living with Coronavirus.

So long as a care home isn’t experiencing high cases of COVID-19, friends and family are welcome to visit whenever they wish and stay for as long as they like. We love it when visitors get involved in activities or stay for a meal.  

Why not come along on one of our outings? Or you’re welcome to take your loved one for a day out at their favourite local spot. But there’s plenty to keep busy with in the care home too, from our cafés and coffee shops where you can enjoy our talented chefs’ homemade treats to our cinemas where you can sit back and relax while reminiscing with your loved one. We also welcome visits from local schools, entertainers and friendly therapy animals, so there’s no end of options for fun and varied things to do. 

Find out more about how we keep in touch with the community.

Technology keeps us connected

Even if a home has to limit in-home visits due to high cases of Covid-19, the team will continue to keep residents and their loved ones in touch. Many of our homes have had Facebook pages for some time, and, during the pandemic, with visits suspended, these became a fantastic way for families to stay connected to daily life in their loved one’s care home.

We’re also now using Facebook Portal to enable residents to connect with their relatives or groups of family or friends, with the benefit of great sound and picture quality. Once our colleagues have helped to make the connection via a smart TV or tablet, residents can chat to loved ones for as long as they wish with little need for any supervision, allowing them precious time together in privacy.

Use the find a care home search tool to find a care home near you.

Vising a loved one with dementia

If your loved one is living with dementia, you may find visits difficult – especially if they no longer seem to recognise you. You may even wonder if there’s any point in visiting anymore. It’s important to remember to be in the moment and in the reality of the person living with dementia. Even if your relative or friend has lost their memories, they will still benefit from the positive feelings of your visit. 

We've put together some advice on how to make the most of your visit when your loved one has dementia.

Have your say

The senior team in your loved one’s home will keep you regularly informed by phone, email and newsletter of the latest news, events, activities, menus and developments so you always feel part of what’s happening.

When your loved one has been living with us for a fortnight, we’ll invite you to a progress meeting (virtual or in person as appropriate) to check you’re happy with all aspects of their care. Please tell us what we can change and where we can improve. But don’t feel you have to wait until that meeting to make changes! Our teams are available at all times to listen to your questions and requests and make improvements.

We also invite residents and their family members to play a part in shaping how we run and develop our services. If you’re interested in taking part in our Voice of Customer programme please talk to the manager of your loved one’s home.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LIFE IN A CARE UK HOME