At Christian Health Care Center, we want every long-term care resident to feel at home. Personal items such as clothing, shoes, technology devices, blankets and small comforts from home enhance daily life.
To help us care for these items and ensure they are quickly returned to the right person if misplaced, CHCC follows a structured process for labeling and tracking belongings. Families play an important part in that process; awareness and ongoing attention can make everything run smoothly.
When to label an item
When a new long-term care resident moves into CHCC, our team labels personal items within the first day or so. This helps staff keep track of items as they move through daily routines such as laundry and care tasks. An inventory sheet is used to catalog items that accompany a resident as they move in.
If new clothing or personal items are brought in after admission, anyone—resident, friend, family member—can stop by a nurses’ station so staff can add the items to the resident’s inventory list and label them right away.
Some families prefer to label items at home using washable, durable clothing labels. That works, too, if the items are also inventoried at a nurses’ station.
Bringing in larger items
If you plan to bring a TV or other larger personal items, such as a chair or small piece of furniture, please talk with CHCC staff first. They can help determine whether the item will fit safely in the resident’s room and make sure it is added to the inventory list.
Laundering at home, seasonal changes
Some families take clothing home to wash or switch out seasonal items. If personal items leave CHCC, please notify nursing staff. This helps us keep each resident’s inventory list updated, which in turn helps staff ensure that clothing and personal belongings are returned promptly and correctly.
A well-organized inventory system protects long-term care resident belongings and helps us provide the highest level of care.
Thank you for taking a moment to follow these steps when bringing items to or from CHCC. Your assistance helps to create a comfortable, home-like environment where everyone’s belongings are accounted for. If your loved one lives at CHCC in Lynden, Washington, and if you have questions about labeling resident clothing and personal items, call 360-354-4434.