Labelling things for care home

If you'll be taking her out places once she's moved in, then keep a permanent Sharpie in your handbag in case you/she buys something on a trip out that she wants to take back in with her straight away. You can always use your normal labelling method on the next visit.

That's really good advice @Sandysandwich. Thank you.

One place I did a few bank shifts had care home towels, that all the residents used, and another had personal towels that if they were labelled were returned to the resident.
If it is a place with individuals own towels, maybe make sure all hers are the same colour, and if she was buying new ones, I would pick a weird and vivid colour. Because everyone knew the neon yellow towels belonged to Mr P in room 4 and the green and purple stripey ones were Ms S in room 9, but a load of white or grey ones could be anyones so they end up shared.

Same for things like knickers and socks, labels are easily washed out of small items of clothing and plain white briefs could belong to anyone. But if Mrs T only has big red knickers she will always be given back her big red knickers.

I wouldn't do it for stuff that is seen, like there is no need to buy her weird and destinctive trousers and she most likely wouldnt want them, but underclothes are fine

I would advise to label everything with her full name, because often people can have the same initials, surnames etc and that can lead to confusion, especially as styles are often really similar and some things like hearing aids, glasses and socks are all a similar size regardless of who they belong to and similar styles.
But maybe check with the home first as I've worked places that labelled by room number as all the rooms were equally accessible and with exactly the same facilities so there was never any need for someone to move out of the room they moved into unless they wanted to.

Also as others have pointed out, plenty of clothes and ensure they are a good fit, easy to put on and take off/use the loo and comfortable, having easier clothes to put on and take off can help maintain independence for longer, so elastic waistband instead of zips and buttons for example, or slide on shoes instead of lace up, a couple of pairs of slippers, a couple of dressing gowns or robes to wash against each other.

And if you're taking her TV label that, and the remote and provide some instructions on how it works and how to tune it in etc, I've spent a fair few night shifts (as we had more time) with someone's TV in the dining room googling how to get it to work and tune it in because it needed doing after they moved in but staff are just too busy especially during the day to spend time doing it.

My fathers care home was pretty good but they definitely did get washing mixed up. I also took his own bedding but so often he had other bedding on his bed. Another daughter of a resident on my dads floor had a washing basket in her mums room and she would do her mums washing herself - I just didn't have ability to carry loads of washing back and forth. I got a dymo label maker - they do laundry labels too but though they would have been ok in normal washes as a pp said they use a much higher temp in care homes and they definitely DO mix batches of clothes by floor at my dads Carehome.
As for other items we were encouraged to bring familiar things but I would go in to his room and realise his carriage clock was missing or his old biscuit tin. Invariably another resident had also recognised them as a familiar object and taken them. This was a pretty regular occurrence snd despite all my labels and photographing we still lost things.

We also use the Stickins stickers. Have used them for years for the kids. We stick them on everything clothes, shoes, TV remote control, ornaments, the plastic box she keeps her mint humbugs in.

www.stikins.co.uk

I dont work for them, I just think they're really handy.

Don't forget to label shoes and slippers too. We used the stickers that you can buy for kids school shoes. I even labelled DMIL knickers and socks. I just figured that if she didn't have dementia, she would have been revolted at the thought of wearing someone else's knickers.

I work in a care home.

Each person’s washing is washed by their link worker (probably twice a week) when their washing basket is full. It’s returned that day or the day after.

No one has their washing mixed with other people’s - I imagine that would be against infection control regulations.

We do tumble dry sometimes, though. So agree about not sending anything too fancy.

Never had anyone wearing some else’s clothes. I can’t even imagine how that would happen.

Another recommendation here. I’ve used than on all sorts of items.

I agree about easy wash clothes but it is also good to bring in/ buy for birthdays ext some more special things which can be taken home by family to wash. Old people who have taken pride in their appearance will still want their 'spevisl' clothes for when they are taken out for lunch ext

My situation must be a bit different because I have never seen mum wearing anyone else's clothes. She doesn't wear underwear and the home supplies all the incontinence products and toiletries. Her clothes are all cheap from Amazon - half a dozen skirts/long sleeved t shirts/short sleeved t shirts and cardigans that she had from home. When I have been up to her room (we usually meet in the dining room) all her things are in place and the wardrobe and drawers only have her clothes in them.

Provide underwear but bear in mind they are often not allowed to wear it - too much trouble to help them dress.

Washable, two labels per garment (one hidden). Expect anything and everything to be stolen (it's not just 'rush' or mistake) including incontinence pads. Watch like a hawk. And take lots of photos.

The home my mum is in told me not to label the clothes as they would do it when making an inventory. I made sure not to take anything precious or irreplaceable. My kids send mum the big Moonpig photo cards with photos of themselves and she has a couple of photo blankets with their pictures on. The photo blankets make great conversation pieces and because they have a photo of her they don't go wandering and end up with someone else like other blankets do

Label her glasses and her dentures if she wears them.
My grandma didn't have hers labelled and one day she was sick whilst in her armchair and the carer went and washed her teeth out put them on the table next to her as she had fallen asleep and the gentleman next to her put them in his mouth and walked off with them.
It was a right faff to get them back.
And another time a new care assistant took multipe sets of teeth to clean and didn't keep them seperate, next time we saw her she looked like bugs bunny with someone elses massive teeth in.

Where my dad is in residential care, we just put any new clothes on the bed and let them know and they do all the labelling.

In all the time he has been in there, over 14 months now, he has never worn anyone else's clothes and I've not seen anyone wearing his.

I think that all the residents clothes are individually washed in bags so that they are all washed, dried and ironed if necessary and returned to their room in one lot.

Every detachable part needs labelling, eg mobile phone AND charger.

walking stick. Flower vases.

You can buy laundry fabric markers to put their initials/name on the labels in every piece of clothing. That's what we do with DGM - full name in larger items and initials on pants and bras etc.
She lives in a decent enough care home but the odd thing has been ruined by hot washing.

As someone who worked in a care home, you can't have too many clothes. Like a PP said, everything is washed and tumble dried together so don't expect any individual care for items. And also it can be in the laundry for up to a week before it gets brought back........longer if the laundry assistant is on leave.

We always put a clean nightie/pj's on daily, and possibly one or two outfits depending on if the home uses bibs at meal times. And label everything including tights, pants, bras, socks, slippers and shoes.

We got iron on labels from My Nametags. Agree with PP who say clothes go missing regularly and a lovely jumper got shrunk.

What to label:

All clothes
Glasses and case
Hearing aid case
Handbag
Toiletries bag

Don't forget to label walking aids. glasses and hearing aids. Mum's home were really good on returning the right clothes to the right people, MIL's appears to be more of a lucky dip.

I'd recommend Stickins. You can use these on spectacles, shoes, everything really.

Dont send anything expensive, delicate or precious as they get washed on hot.

We have a labelling machine, originally for garden labels but used for all sorts of things. Basically it has a little keyboard, and it then prints out onto a peel off sticky label. Obviously no good for clothes ( I used sew in labels for my mother but as PP have said, not worth the effort) but could label her other possessions.

side note: when DH went into hospital for a major op which meant he would be out of it for a few days , I used the label to label everything : toothbrush, glasses even both his slippers. I was a bit worried in case it was OTT until the ward sister thanked me and said it saved so much trouble when they moved him from high to lower dependency beds, when he couldn’t look after his own stuff.

i use the labeller to label plugs, light switches ie side light, hall light as well as jars and canisters. It is brilliant

i do not work for this company!

@sorryiasked and I are on same page. We use a version of those too