Most families plan the truck and forget the first night. That night is what the new resident remembers, so this checklist starts there and works backward. Print it, cross things off, and call the front desk with anything it does not answer.
Two weeks before
We send a floor plan with measurements. Measure the bed, the favorite chair and the dresser, and leave the rest for later. Bring what makes the room feel familiar: photos, a lamp, the quilt, the clock that has always been on the nightstand.
The paperwork
Wisconsin requires a physician’s report and a TB screening before move-in. We send both forms with your welcome packet and chase anything missing. Bring copies of the power of attorney and any advance directive on moving day.
Moving day
I meet you at the door at 9am. Our handyman hangs pictures and mounts the TV. The nurse on duty sets up medications before lunch, and lunch is waiting in the dining room for the whole family.
The first night
Make the bed before anything else, with the old sheets, not new ones. Leave the lamp on. The evening nurse stops by after dinner, and again before bed if the family would like.
The first two weeks
Visit often, but keep visits short at first. Rosa from life enrichment introduces two neighbors in the first week. At day 30 the nurse and the family sit down to adjust the care plan.
