How to Make an Assisted Living Apartment Feel Like Home
Assisted living community apartments come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s making a house feel like home that’s important. Luckily, there are more than a few ways to help spruce up your home and add a personal touch that makes it cozy and comfortable.
Whether you are moving to an assisted living and memory care community or want to help a loved one, here are our top tips for making an assisted living apartment feel like home!
Tip 1: Bring Friendly Faces Into The Home
One of the best ways to make an assisted living apartment feel like a home is to add some friendly faces to your space!
Pictures of family and friends can help bring a familiar vibe to your apartment. Think of where you would like to have specific family members or pictures of special moments within you home, especially in places where you spend a lot of time – such as your living room, bedroom, or kitchenette.
For those living in memory care, adding labels with names, dates, and other important details of the picture can help them connect the dots between faces and names.
Tip 2: Bring Your Favorite Furniture and Personal Items
If you are moving from another home to your assisted living apartment, keep the same familiarity by bringing your furniture and other personal decor to your new place! By bringing your favorite furniture, you can create a sense of continuity and comfort in your new place.
For some, it’s a favorite reading chair, or maybe it’s a cherished family heirloom like a side table or dresser. No matter the furniture, bringing over these pieces can help you make your new assisted living apartment feel like home!
Other items to consider bringing along include:
- Your favorite bedding and pillows
- A lamp or light fixture that reminds you of home
- Special artwork, wall decor, or photographs
- A recliner, chair, or other comfortable seating
- Other meaningful decorative items for any room
3. Add Personal Touches To Your Bathroom
One area that many don’t consider is the bathroom, which is a place where you’ll often spend more time than you expect!
No matter what your assisted living community apartment’s bathroom looks like, little things can help make it feel like home. This can include towels, bath mats, or shower curtains. Add in a few decor items and some reading material – anything to bring up the comfort level!
4. Create Specific Spaces for Personal Activities
How do you spend your time day to day? Do you tend to find yourself gravitating toward a specific cozy corner to read or browse the internet? Do you like to spend time lounging in bed? Is there a couch you like to recline on while you watch TV?
You can arrange your furniture in such a way that those spaces are given prime real estate. And don’t forget about creating a hobby space for tactile activities, such as painting, scrapbooking, and similar activities!
5. Bring In Natural Elements
Making an assisted living apartment feel like home isn’t just about the furniture – you can also bring elements of nature to add a bit of comfort. Adding plants or fresh flowers can bring life and energy to any room, whether they are real or not!
If you find keeping up with real plants difficult, don’t be afraid to invest in quality artificial plants that fit well in your apartment! But if real plants are accessible, building a routine of tending to them is a great daily activity.
6. Maintain Your Familiar Routines Each Day
Do you find that specific routines help you to feel more at ease? For many in assisted living communities, it’s the small things that make one feel grounded and at ease. But this isn’t just about what you do, but also where you do those tasks.
Make sure that your space is set up to support your daily habits and routines – whether that’s a spot for your morning coffee or a unique spot for prayer or meditation. The more naturally you can move through the room, the more comfortable you will feel!
7. Add Small, Cozy Touches
While furniture often takes up the most space, it’s the small details that make the biggest difference. When it comes to creating a homey atmosphere in your assisted living apartment, consider these ideas:
- Add in soft throw blankets that feature your favorite colors or tones
- Use decorative pillows that fit the season or have special meaning for you
- Plug in a scented diffuser or use a natural reed diffuser
- Place family heirlooms or treasured collections in special, accessible places
8. Organize For Accessibility
One key element of an assisted living apartment is accessibility. You don’t want to create a space that is so busy that you can’t easily move around and get to what you need.
Instead, make sure that things are both personal and accessible – such as installing lighting in dark corners, using storage containers, and arranging furniture in ways that create clear pathways.
Make Your Assisted Living Apartment Feel Like Home
At The Harrison of Oklahoma City Assisted Living & Memory Care, we know that creating a unique and comfortable living space matters. That’s why we design our assisted living community apartments to maximize space and comfort.
Our team of care professionals are here to help you make the transition smooth and easy, whether that’s finding your way around the community or customizing your space to fit your personal preferences.
Want to learn more about how to make an assisted living apartment feel like home? Schedule a tour with The Harrison of Oklahoma City today and see how our residents make our community the best in OKC!