According to a 2021 article from the Journal of Family Nursing, family plays a significant role in achieving a positive outcome for individuals seeking nursing care through support, companionship, and proxy decision-making when necessary. However, the article found that this can be challenging for family members who are unfamiliar with their loved one’s care needs and that a “lack of time can act as [a barrier] to nurses actively involving families in care.”
Many families want to remain involved with their loved one’s care after they have transitioned into a nursing home, but are unsure how. Some care providers offer little personalised support, and nurses are unable to spend the necessary time with families to effectively help them through this transitional period.
However, luxury nursing care providers like Loveday not only provide carefully tailored clinical and personal support but also proactively involve families at every stage of their loved one’s care journey with clear communication and facilitate meaningful connections through visitation and shared experiences.
In this article, we explore how family involvement can elevate a loved one’s time in care and how providers best facilitate this involvement.
Visiting Loved Ones to Provide Comfort & Familiarity
Visits from family members and loved ones are a crucial element of maintaining the emotional wellbeing of an older adult in care. Strong relationships and social bonds help give structure to the day outside of clinical support, provide an emotional support network and reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
A 2025 study by the Alzheimer’s Association even identified loneliness as a major factor in dementia risk, making family visits important not only for improving a resident’s mental health, but for their clinical wellbeing. By providing positive and engaging experiences, alongside a bespoke nursing care plan, families and friends can help a loved one with a memory condition experience higher life satisfaction and reduce the risk of psychological distress.
Visits are opportunities for families to bring warmth and joy to their loved one’s day and break up the day-to-day care routine. At Loveday, this might mean relaxing in a comfortable lounge, socialising with a cocktail or sitting down for a delicious meal from our award-winning in-house chefs. At the heart of every visit is the opportunity to simply enjoy time together, knowing our teams are there to make every moment feel comfortable, relaxed and special.
Advocating for Care & Support
One of the key ways families can support a loved one in care is by advocating for them with their provider by making decisions on their behalf through Power of Attorney, informing the provider about their needs, history and preferences, and actively participating in decision-making and future planning. Families who are attentive and engaged with their loved one’s care can provide meaningful insights to ensure their full-time clinical support is precisely tailored to deliver the greatest levels of comfort and support.
At Loveday, we recognise that effective advocacy requires consistent communication to ensure families fully understand their loved one’s needs. Our Relationship Partners involve family members from the earliest stages of care planning, inviting loved ones to participate in the initial assessment for new residents. Their valuable insight into personal preferences, daily routines, life experiences and medical history enables our teams to gain a deeper understanding of each individual. By working closely with families from the outset, we are able to develop a truly personalised care plan that reflects the unique needs, wishes and aspirations of every resident.
Once a new resident transitions into their new home, our teams provide consistent and clear updates on their clinical and personal wellbeing to provide peace of mind and reassurance. A 2022 study found that in many cases, a family’s poor experience with their loved one’s care stemmed from their interactions with the care team. That’s why we take special care to build a positive and supportive relationship with families based on transparency, respect and a shared desire to protect and enhance their loved one’s wellbeing with bespoke nursing care.
Supporting Loved Ones with Memory Care Requirements
Family involvement with care has been linked by memory care research journal Dementia with improvements in long-term emotional wellbeing for residents with dementia, Alzheimer’s and other memory conditions. Families provide a reassuring sense of familiarity and continuity, often helping residents reconnect with treasured memories through conversation, photographs and shared experiences. Loveday residences offer a collection of elegant and intimate spaces, from private lounges and beautifully landscaped gardens to tranquil terraces, where meaningful moments can be enjoyed together. With the discreet support of our teams, families are free to focus on what matters most – spending quality time with their loved one in comfort and privacy.
Memory care charity Alzheimer’s Society recommends that family members continue to visit even when their loved one struggles to recognise faces or recall names and other personal information. The sound of a voice can continue to provide comfort and trigger feelings of familiarity even if they struggle to actively recognise people. While this can be an emotionally challenging experience, at Loveday families do not endure it alone. Our memory care specialists provide personalised, sensitive guidance on how they can support their loved one. Family members can also find support at our weekly Memory Café, a carefully curated space for those supporting loved ones with memory conditions where they can connect and share experiences.
How Loveday Involves Families in Care
At Loveday, we provide peace of mind for families by delivering the highest levels of clinical excellence and meticulously detailed programmes of support for each resident. Our teams seamlessly integrate specialist care and round-the-clock oversight with an elevated lifestyle in one of our beautifully appointed residences. At every stage of the process, we invite families to discuss their loved one’s care needs and personal preferences and provide consistent updates.
Discover more about the breadth of our care offerings and arrange a private tour of one of our luxurious residences by calling 020 4530 4700.
