Moving a parent into a care home involves far more than packing a suitcase. There is a contract to review, finances to arrange, a GP to notify, benefits to update, clothing to label, a room to personalise, and an emotional transition to manage — for both of you.
This checklist covers everything you need to do in the four weeks before the move, what to bring, what to expect on moving day, and how to handle the first month. Print it, work through it, and you will arrive on moving day feeling prepared rather than overwhelmed.
This guide covers England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have different care funding systems.
Last updated: March 2026.
4 Weeks Before the Move
These are the admin, legal, and financial tasks that need time to process. Starting early prevents last-minute chaos.
Contract and fees
- [ ] Confirm the care home place in writing and agree a move-in date
- [ ] Read the contract carefully before signing. The Care Act 2014 requires providers to give clear written terms. Check:
- The weekly fee and exactly what it includes (meals, laundry, activities, personal care)
- The MSIF Benchmark: If you are self-funding, check your quoted fee against the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) data for your local council. If the home wants £1,500/week but the council only pays them £1,000/week for the same room, you have room to negotiate the base fee before signing the contract.
- How fees can increase and how much notice the home must give
- Any additional charges (hairdressing, chiropody, outings, newspapers)
- The notice period for leaving (typically 28 days)
- What happens if the person's care needs increase (will they be asked to leave or can the home accommodate higher needs?)
- The trial period — most homes offer a 4-6 week trial period where you can leave with shorter notice
- The complaints process
- [ ] Set up payment — direct debit, council arrangement, or deferred payment agreement
Worked Scenario: The Moving Day Panic vs Preparation
To understand why this 4-week timeline matters, look at how two different families handle moving day.
Family A (Rushed): They packed the night before. On moving day, they arrive at the care home with black bin bags full of unlabelled clothes. Dad's medications are in a plastic carrier bag. The care staff spend the first two hours trying to inventory the drugs and find out if he has allergies, rather than welcoming him. Dad is highly distressed. Within 48 hours, three of his favorite shirts are lost in the communal laundry because they weren't labelled.
Family B (Prepared using the Checklist): Two weeks prior, they ordered sew-in name tags and labelled everything. They completed a 2-page "Life Story" document detailing that Mum prefers tea with one sugar, loves watching tennis, and gets anxious if doors are left open. On moving day, they arrive an hour before Mum to put her favourite armchair in the corner and hang family photos. When Mum arrives, the room smells familiar. The staff greet her by name, hand her a cup of tea exactly how she likes it, and ask her about her favourite tennis player.
The Result: Family B's mother settles in half the time because the environment was actively prepared to absorb her anxiety.
Finances and benefits
- [ ] Notify Attendance Allowance — if currently receiving it, report the care home move. Attendance Allowance stops after 28 days in a care home funded by the council. If self-funding, it continues
- [ ] Check Pension Credit and other benefits — some change when the person enters residential care. Contact the Pension Service (0800 731 0469)
- [ ] Council tax — if the person lived alone, they may have had a single occupancy discount. Notify the council. If the property will be empty, check whether council tax is still payable (some councils exempt empty properties being prepared for sale)
- [ ] If the home will be empty, arrange buildings insurance and inform the insurer. Many standard policies become invalid after 30-60 days of the property being unoccupied
Medical
- [ ] Notify the GP — the person will need to register with a GP near the care home, or check whether the care home has an arrangement with a local practice. Ask the care home which GP they work with
- [ ] Request a medication summary from the current GP or pharmacy — the care home needs a complete list of current medications, dosages, and any allergies
- [ ] Arrange dental, optician, and chiropody — care homes do not always arrange these automatically. Check what the home provides and what you need to arrange independently
Legal and administration
- [ ] Power of Attorney — if not already in place, this is your last practical opportunity to register an LPA while the person still has capacity. See our guide to Lasting Power of Attorney for care home decisions
- [ ] Arrange a post redirect — Royal Mail redirects cost £35.99 for 3 months (2026). Set this up before the move so no important correspondence is missed
- [ ] Notify the bank of the address change
- [ ] Notify any other services: pension provider, insurance companies, subscriptions
2 Weeks Before the Move
Now the practical preparation begins.
The room
- [ ] Visit the care home and see the actual room your parent will move into. Measure it — know how much space there is for personal items, a chair, a small table, photos on the wall
- [ ] Ask what furniture is provided — bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, and chair are standard. Some homes allow you to bring a favourite armchair or small piece of furniture
- [ ] Check electrical rules — most homes require a PAT test for any electrical items you bring (radio, TV, lamp, tablet charger). Ask whether the home arranges this or whether you need to
Labelling
This is tedious but essential. Items go missing in care homes, particularly in the laundry.
- [ ] Label ALL clothing — sew-in name labels are best (iron-on labels come off in industrial laundry). Order these early — companies like Able Labels and Nametapes deliver in 5-7 days
- [ ] Label glasses, hearing aids, dentures, and their cases — use small engraved labels or write the name on the case with permanent marker
- [ ] Label any personal electronics — radio, tablet, phone, remote control
Documentation
- [ ] Create a "life story" document for the care staff. Include:
- Preferred name (not everyone wants to be called by their formal name)
- Daily routine preferences (early riser or late sleeper, bath or shower, tea or coffee)
- Food likes, dislikes, and dietary requirements
- Hobbies, interests, and conversation topics
- Important people in their life (names and relationships)
- Things that upset or comfort them
- Religious or cultural preferences
- Music they enjoy
- [ ] Prepare a medications folder — current medications list, pharmacy details, any hospital discharge summaries
- [ ] Copy of the care plan from the council assessment (if applicable)
Property
- [ ] If the home will be empty, secure it — check locks, set light timers, ask a neighbour to check periodically
- [ ] Take meter readings for gas, electricity, and water
- [ ] Notify utility companies — you may be able to reduce direct debits if the property is empty
- [ ] Contents insurance — check whether the policy covers an unoccupied property. Some require notification after 30 days
What to Bring
Clothing (10-14 days' worth)
- [ ] Daywear — comfortable, easy to put on (front-fastening tops, elasticated waistbands)
- [ ] Nightwear — 4-5 sets
- [ ] Underwear and socks — plenty (laundry takes 3-5 days in most homes)
- [ ] Comfortable shoes with non-slip soles — 2 pairs
- [ ] Outdoor coat and hat
- [ ] Dressing gown and slippers
- [ ] Cardigan or jumper — care homes can be cool in the evenings
Personal items
- [ ] Toiletries — their usual brands (labelled). Most homes provide basics but familiar products matter
- [ ] Glasses, hearing aids, dentures — plus spare batteries for hearing aids
- [ ] Walking aids, wheelchair, or mobility equipment
- [ ] Cushion or pillow they prefer
- [ ] Continence supplies for the first few days (the home will arrange ongoing supply)
To make the room feel like home
- [ ] Family photos — framed, ready to put on surfaces or hang. These are the single most important item for making the room feel personal
- [ ] A favourite blanket or bedspread — their own, not the home's standard-issue
- [ ] Small ornaments or personal objects that they would recognise
- [ ] A clock — large, easy to read (orientation to time matters)
- [ ] A radio or small TV (will need PAT testing)
- [ ] Favourite books, puzzles, magazines, or craft materials
- [ ] A small plant (check with the home first)
Documents to bring on moving day
- [ ] NHS number and medical summary
- [ ] Current GP details (and new GP details if transferring)
- [ ] Next of kin and emergency contact details (written, not just in your phone)
- [ ] Power of Attorney documents (copies — keep originals safe)
- [ ] Council care plan (if applicable)
- [ ] The life story document you prepared
What NOT to bring
- Anything irreplaceable or highly valuable — jewellery, cash, valuables. Care homes cannot guarantee the security of personal possessions
- Large furniture — the room is smaller than you think
- A large wardrobe of clothes — start with 10-14 days and add more once you know the laundry rhythm
Moving Day
Morning
- [ ] Arrive early — before the person if possible. Set up the room: put photos out, make the bed with their own bedspread, place familiar items where they can see them
- [ ] Meet the care team — introduce yourself to the manager, the senior carer on duty, and ideally the person who will be your parent's key worker. Exchange phone numbers
- [ ] Hand over the life story document and medication to the senior carer
Settling in
- [ ] Spend time in the room together — help them find where things are, test the call bell, show them the bathroom
- [ ] Have lunch together if the timing works. Sharing a first meal in the dining room helps normalise the environment
- [ ] Introduce them to at least one other resident or staff member by name
Leaving
- [ ] Leave at a natural break — after a meal, before an afternoon activity, or when a carer engages them in something. Saying goodbye when they are occupied is easier than leaving during a quiet moment
- [ ] Do not stay all day. The staff need to begin building their own relationship with the person, and your parent needs to start experiencing the home's routine without you as a buffer
- [ ] It is normal to feel terrible when you leave. That feeling does not mean you made the wrong decision
The First Week
- [ ] Visit daily but keep visits short — 30-60 minutes. Long visits delay the settling-in process because the person waits for you rather than engaging with the home
- [ ] Bring something small each visit — a new photo, a favourite biscuit, a magazine. It gives you something to do together and makes the room feel more personal over time
- [ ] Ask staff how they are doing — eating, sleeping, joining activities, interacting with others. Staff see 22 hours a day that you do not
- [ ] Expect some distress. "I want to go home" is one of the most common things new care home residents say. It does not necessarily mean the home is wrong — it means the transition is hard. Give it time
- [ ] Do not take distress at face value in the first week. Many people who are upset during visits are calm and content between them. Ask staff for an honest picture
First-week adjustment: what to expect
- Visit frequently but keep visits short (30-60 minutes) so your parent engages with the home rather than waiting for you
- Bring one or two familiar items each visit to gradually personalise the room
- Meet the key worker by name and ask how your parent is eating, sleeping, and interacting
- Check that all medications have transferred correctly from the GP or pharmacy
- Ask staff for daily updates during the first week — they see the 22 hours you do not
The First Month
- [ ] Gradually reduce visit frequency — move from daily to every other day, then 3-4 times a week. This helps your parent build their own routine
- [ ] Attend the care plan review meeting — most homes hold one within 4-6 weeks of admission. This is your opportunity to discuss how things are going, raise any concerns, and adjust the care plan
- [ ] Raise concerns early. If something is not right — food quality, staff manner, activities not happening, medication issues — mention it now. Small issues addressed early do not become big problems later
- [ ] Watch for warning signs that the home may not be right (the CQC advises raising concerns early):
- Unexplained weight loss
- Withdrawal from activities and social interaction (beyond initial adjustment)
- Unaddressed complaints
- Medication errors
- Your parent consistently distressed after 4-6 weeks (not just the first week)
- [ ] Remember: you can move to a different home. A poor first experience does not mean all care homes are the same. It means this particular one is not the right fit. Our guide to how to get someone into a care home covers the process for transferring
If after the first month the home feels right, you will know. Your parent will be eating, sleeping, and — gradually — engaging. Not every day will be good. But the trajectory should be towards settling, not away from it.
If You Have Not Yet Chosen a Care Home
If you are reading this checklist before you have selected a home, the most important thing you can do is choose well. A careful choice now prevents the stress of needing to move your parent again later.
Our Funding Calculator matches you to care homes based on 156 quality factors — CQC performance, specialist capability, staffing, location, and the true MSIF cost for your local authority. It is the starting point for a decision based on evidence rather than brochures.
Get Your Custom Funding Action Plan
Further Reading
- How to Get an Elderly Person Into a Care Home: Step-by-Step UK Guide
- Lasting Power of Attorney for Care Home Decisions
- How to Verify a Care Home Before You Commit
- Questions to Ask When Visiting a Care Home
- Care Home Funding Eligibility: A Complete UK Guide
Sources
- Care Act 2014 — legislation.gov.uk
- Lasting Power of Attorney — GOV.UK
- Moving into a care home — Age UK
- How to complain about a service or provider — CQC