What to bring to a nursing home: a move-in packing list
Key takeaways
- Pack about a week of comfortable, machine-washable clothing, and label every piece.
- Bring glasses, hearing aids and dentures in labeled cases, and ask the staff to add them to the inventory list.
- Bring copies, not originals, of insurance cards, photo ID and advance directives.
- Leave valuables and large amounts of cash with family, and give the nurse a full list of medicines.
Moving into a nursing home is easier with less. Rooms have a bed, a nightstand, a small closet and a few drawers, and a roommate often shares the space. Pack for about a week, label everything, and bring a few things that make the room feel like theirs.
Clothing
- 7 comfortable, machine-washable outfits. Pull-on pants and tops that open in front are easiest.
- 7 to 10 sets of underwear and socks.
- 3 or 4 sets of sleepwear and a robe.
- 2 sweaters or cardigans.
- Sturdy shoes with non-skid soles, and slippers with a closed back.
- A jacket and a hat for going outside.
Write the resident's name inside every piece with a laundry marker or iron-on labels. Ask whether the home does the laundry or whether the family may take it home.
Health and personal items
- Glasses, hearing aids with spare batteries or a charger, and dentures, each in a labeled case.
- Cane, walker or wheelchair, labeled with the resident's name.
- A written list of every medicine, dose and time, including vitamins and supplements.
- Favorite toiletries.
- An electric razor, a hairbrush and any hair products they like.
Paperwork
Bring copies and keep the originals at home.
- Medicare card, Medicaid card and any other insurance cards.
- Photo ID.
- Advance directive or living will, and any orders about resuscitation.
- Health care power of attorney and financial power of attorney.
- Names and phone numbers for family and for doctors.
Comforts from home
- Family photos and a favorite blanket or pillow.
- A clock with large numbers and a calendar.
- A radio or music player with headphones.
- Books, puzzles, knitting or whatever they like to do.
- A cell phone or tablet with its charger, labeled.
What to add for a short rehab stay
- Sneakers or other sturdy shoes for therapy.
- Loose pants and short-sleeved tops that are easy to move in.
- The hospital discharge papers and the date of the next doctor's visit.
What does the nursing home provide?
The home provides the bed and linens, meals and nursing care. During a stay paid by Medicare or Medicaid it must also supply basic personal hygiene items at no charge. If you pay privately, ask what the daily rate includes. For residents on Medicaid, federal rules list services the home must provide at no charge, including nursing care, dietary services, an activities program, room and bed maintenance, and routine personal hygiene items. A home may charge for extras such as a telephone, television, personal comfort items and a private room that is not medically needed, so ask for the price list.
What should you leave at home?
- Jewelry, keepsakes that cannot be replaced, and large amounts of cash.
- Medicines to keep at the bedside, unless the care team has agreed to it. Give them to the nurse.
- Heating pads, electric blankets, space heaters and candles, which many homes do not allow.
- Throw rugs and furniture that blocks the path to the bathroom.
- Clothing that needs dry cleaning.
What should you do on move-in day?
- Ask the staff to write glasses, hearing aids, dentures, phones and anything of value on the resident's inventory list, and keep a copy.
- Meet the charge nurse and the aide on duty, and tell them what your loved one likes to be called.
- Share the routine: when they wake up, what they eat for breakfast, what calms them.
- Ask when the first care plan meeting will be, and put it on your calendar.
- Ask who to call with a question, day and night.