Moving Homes – The Emotional Journey of Moving to a Retirement Home
Over the last week I’ve moved houses and into an unfamiliar suburb. This experience got me thinking about our new residents and how moving into a retirement village might feel for them.
We’ve all moved home at least once in our lives. It can be an emotional ordeal – regardless of age.
For our residents, they are making the decision to leave the family home, filled with a lifetime of memories and daily routines. There is then leaving the neighbours they may (or may not) have built a strong connection with over the journey.
Having moved several times myself, I’ve become somewhat adept at sorting through possessions. Yet, each move still brings surprises—items I thought I’d lost or things I haven’t used in over a decade.
The process of downsizing and sorting through memories is time-consuming and emotional. Our new residents will likely face similar challenges as they prepare to leave their homes and join our village.
I can only imagine on the mind of our residents would be: What will I encounter when I enter the village? Will everyone be as friendly as they were during the sales process?
These things combine made me reflect on the impact we can have as Village Professionals, and what a good resident orientation looks like. One the sets the resident up for creating new memories in their village community, and finding new friends and neighbours to connect with.
First Impressions go both ways. New residents want to make a positive impression to build friendships and settle in, while we want to ensure the village makes a welcoming “this is your new home” impression that builds on the initial positive sales experience.
So, how are we welcoming our new residents? What impression are they getting of their new home and community?
It is these questions that reinforces the importance of having good systems and process in place, specifically a structured Orientation or Induction checklist.
As a simple tool for managing resident experience, this document is used to ensure new residents have a clear understanding of their new environment while they are also figuring out where to place their furniture and sentimental items.
For DCM Institute participants reading this, make sure to utilise the Resident Induction Checklist available in the Resource Bank to help your newest residents transition smoothly.
While moving home is a universally stressful event, with careful planning and a warm welcome, we can turn this transition into a positive experience, setting up our new residents for a fulfilling and happy life in our village.
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