Did your loved one recently move into an assisted living facility? Are you in the process of finding a facility for your loved one? While you’ve definitely got some important decisions to make, don’t forget to plan out how you’ll decorate their living space to make it feel as close to home as possible.
Depending on where your loved one lives, you’ll have different opportunities to decorate. For example, you may only have one wall to hang pictures if the room is shared and separated by a curtain.
To create a living space that will make your loved one will feel at home, here are several ideas for decorating in all kinds of spaces.
1. Create a feeling of luxury
Luxury furnishings make people feel good because they’re beautiful, high-quality, and exceptionally comfortable. When you create a luxury living space for your loved one, they’ll feel comfortable and safe.
For décor and furniture ideas, look at the environment created for residents at the McLean House in Georgia. There’s plenty of tasteful furniture in the shared living spaces, and you can create a similar environment in your loved one’s private room.
Don’t forget the bathroom! One beautiful rug can make a huge difference in the way a bathroom appears. Granted, you’ll want to make sure the rug doesn’t pose a trip hazard.
You might even get permission to help redecorate common areas. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
2. Enlarge family photos and place them in large, collage frames on the wall
Your loved one will want to be surrounded by their treasured photos of friends and family. However, if they spend a lot of time in bed or in a recliner, they might not be able to see smaller photos placed on dressers and affixed to the wall.
Find a large picture frame designed to hold pictures in a collage. Then, enlarge their favorite photos to fit into the various sections in the frame. When the collage is completed, hang it on the wall where they can see the photos best.
You may even want to create a giant poster of their favorite photo. If there’s only space for one photo or poster at a time, get multiple prints and swap them out every couple of weeks.
3. Create a cozier bed
Most senior living centers that provide medical care prefer that residents use either a medical bed or an adjustable bed. However, some assisted living facilities require residents to bring their own furniture.
If you have any control over the bed your loved one will sleep in, make it as cozy as possible. Technically, you might be able to spice up a hospital bed with a bed skirt and custom sheets. However, if the bedding needs to be changed daily, that could be a problem.
If you can’t provide custom sheets, get a nice set of warm, non-electric blankets that will make your loved one feel comfortable and cozy.
4. Bring in some houseplants
Having plants indoors is beneficial on so many levels. First, plants provide oxygen, and if your loved one doesn’t have a window open to get fresh air, the air inside will be stale. A houseplant can make the air fresh.
Houseplants are also great to look at, especially plants with interesting designs like sedums. The best thing about sedums is that they don’t require frequent watering, they’re hard to accidentally kill, and many varieties don’t grow over the sides of the pot.
5. Build shelves into the walls
Hopefully, you can put up some simple brackets and shelving in your loved one’s space. You can create a beautiful environment with shelving just by filling the space with a collection of books, little statues and trinkets, and framed photos.
If you can get permission to put a couple of holes in the wall, your loved one will be delighted to have their favorite memories displayed up high where they can see them.
Even better, if you can put a couple of shelves that extend the length of a long wall, you can create an even better living space by spreading out photos, greeting cards, and seasonal decorations.
Make your loved one’s space feel like home
Try some of these ideas to create a cozy living space for your loved one. Remember to get permission before putting nails or push pins into the wall and don’t be afraid to challenge the administration if they deny your request. Your loved one will appreciate every effort you make to create a space that feels like home.
