Assisted living room changes

In 18 months my LO has been in four rooms in three facilities, and with each move the room gets smaller and simpler. It has been a good change each time. Some people will tell you that any change causes decline, but I’m not convinced that everyone with dementia is that fragile. I noticed no decline in my LO associated with a move. There was a positive change when my LO went from home to AL, and then declines have usually happened along with an illness of some kind—or sometimes just with the passage of time. Changing a room isn’t apt to make much if any difference in the disease progression in the later stages, and the staff is probably right that the smaller room will be better for your mom. (Once my LO told me, shortly after a move: “They’ve made a lot of improvements in this place lately.” With no consciousness of having changed rooms, my LO did realize that the situation was better. I said, “That’s great!”)

Like others here, I strongly recommend that you move her things while she’s otherwise occupied, and then just take her “back” to the new room. If she still recognizes her own belongings, you can show her that the place is hers: “Here’s your favorite blanket, and look, there’s that picture of us. I really love that picture. Do you like it?” Or if she wants to talk about the change of room, you can say, “You’ll find this new place a lot easier, I think. Look, here’s where you can find your sweater . . .” When my LO went from two rooms to one, I reduced the furniture, the decorations, the belongings, the pictures. We’re down to two picture frames (one is digital) and a clock that only I ever refer to. We’re done with knick-knacks. The room is easy to navigate, and the location of the bathroom is still obvious to my LO. Simpler is better in the later stages.