Care Package Ideas for Nursing Home Residents

Helping a loved one transition into a nursing home is an act of love. You know that your family member will now receive around-the-clock assistance to help them get through their daily routines. It will afford them attentive medical care that addresses all their health needs.

Best of all, living in a nursing home provides each resident with a sense of community, which contributes to their overall well-being.

You’ll need to adjust your schedule to include consistent visits. It might be a challenging transition at first, but soon your loved one will come to appreciate the staff’s support with their needs. They will also look forward to your visits. You’ll soon discover that you can make every visit even more meaningful by bringing your loved one a special care package.

You don’t have to overwhelm your loved one with surprises and packages. Instead, focus on thoughtful gifts that can become a regular part of your care package routine.

Personal Care and Hygiene Needs

Each nursing home provides the basics when it comes to personal care and hygiene needs. However, your loved one will appreciate those items they have used and are comfortable with. Providing them with familiar brands can reinforce the concept that their new surroundings are their new, special home.

Here are some items you might want to gather for a personal care package:

• Oral Care: New toothbrushes or electric toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash. You can also include denture cleaning tablets and adhesive, if applicable.
• Skin Care: Gentle soap, moisturizing body wash, lotions, lip balm, and powder.
• Hair Care: A favorite shampoo, along with a hairbrush and comb. You can also include dry shampoo for special days when showering might be too much of a challenge.
• Daily Comfort: Hand sanitizer and unscented wet wipes. 

Entertainment and Cognitive Engagement Activities

Another benefit of living in a nursing home is that residents have opportunities to socialize with others. They’ll get to engage in activities that can support their cognitive care. You can contribute to that by including things like jigsaw puzzles, card and board games, crosswords, word searches, and Sudoku books.

Memory tools like a photo book of your loved one’s life or trivia games that focus on historical events, classic movies, and television shows can continue to stimulate the brain.

You might also consider providing pre-loaded MP3 players that include music from your loved one’s formative years. You might want to include sensory items such as aromatherapy sachets, tactile fidget blankets, and stress balls.

If your loved one enjoys reading, you can include newspapers, magazines, and books. There is also the option to set up audiobooks. 

Safe Food and Snack Considerations

Every nursing home resident will receive three nutritious meals. They will also be provided with snacks and drinks throughout the day, but your loved one might appreciate some special snacks they were used to enjoying before the move.

Here are some snack considerations you might want to include in your care package:

• Soft protein bars
• Tuna pouches
• Soft jerky
• Dried fruits
• Fruit cups
• Packed applesauce
• Soft cookies
• Oatmeal packets
• Soft crackers
• Premium tea bags
• Ensure or boost

Before you go shopping for snacks, be sure to check with the staff about any concerns regarding resident allergies. You’ll also want to make sure your snacks align with any new dietary requirements for your loved one. 

Items to Avoid for Safety and Compliance

As you continue your regular visits and care packages, you should be aware of potential safety concerns. What might have been appropriate to bring your loved one to their home could be out of compliance at the nursing home.

These are the items you might need to check with the nursing home staff to see if they are appropriate:

• Candles
• Electric blankets
• Aerosol sprays
• Sharp objects like scissors or razors
• Unapproved medications
• Tobacco products 

Monitoring Resident Well-Being During Nursing Home Visits

Every visit with your loved one is a chance to check in on their care. Even though the nursing home staff has taken over their daily care, you are still considered their primary caregiver.

The hope is that your loved one will be taken care of and thrive. Unfortunately, there could be situations where a nursing home resident is subjected to neglect. This can happen if the facility is understaffed or has staff members who are not properly trained.

Here’s what you should monitor on every visit:

• Physical Health: Check for unexplained bruises, injuries, or subtle changes such as unexpected weight loss, mobility challenges, or changes in blood pressure and oxygen levels.
• Mental Status: Watch out for signs of depression, anxiety, and confusion. You should also ask whether they feel lonely or isolated.
• Cognitive Functions: You can take note of any cognitive concerns, such as memory issues or challenges to engage in substantial conversation.
• Personal Hygiene: Note whether your loved one is well-groomed and has clean clothing and bedding.
• Social Environment: Be sure to observe how the staff interacts with your loved one and other residents.

It will also be helpful to occasionally shift your visit times so you can see how different shifts operate. That includes showing up for the occasional mealtime.

If you notice something that appears to be an issue, report it to the staff immediately and document the response. If the situation persists, you should reach out to an attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse cases. There’s no reason why your loved one shouldn’t thrive in their nursing home.

Your continued support can make that happen. And if you have any other questions about improving your loved one’s life in a nursing home, we have plenty of resources at My Nursing Home Abuse Guide.