When a loved one is moved into a care home, families want reassurance that their relative is safe and cared for correctly. Handing over day-to-day responsibility for someone they care about can be an extremely emotional and stressful experience. With good communication, families can feel secure and further trust their chosen care home provider.
For families, not knowing what is going on in the daily moments can be the hardest part. This might be how their loved one slept, whether they ate lunch, or even how they’re feeling emotionally. Without regular updates, the uncertainty of silence can create anxiety for families who don’t know if something is wrong.
Strong communication between carers and the family can provide peace of mind and build a trusted relationship. This can support collaborative, person-centred care in the long-run and reduce the chances of future complaints or misunderstandings. From research, it’s clear that when families feel informed, they feel more involved and therefore confident in the care that is being delivered.
Research has shown that communication remains one of the biggest indicators of family confidence in care. A Log my Care 2026 family confidence report found that 70% of families say they would like to receive updates about their loved one’s care at least once a day, but that only 51% actually receive updates that often.
This gap between expectation and reality can create doubt and may cause families to question what’s happening in the care home. When updates are only provided when something goes wrong, families can start to negatively associate contact with concern rather than reassurance.
Families today are used to real-time information in other areas of life, and this has extended to the same expectations when it comes to care. According to the same Log my Care report, 83% of families say modern digital tools are important in care. Digital communication platforms allow families to see daily notes, wellbeing updates, activities, photos and more care interactions – this visibility builds connection and trust. However, for this to be effective, updates need to be embedded into daily routines and used consistently by staff to bridge the gap.
Studies show that the gap between what families want, and what they actually receive in terms of communication is a core cause of anxiety and loss of trust in care providers. Once this trust is lost, it can be hard to rebuild again.
On the other hand, proactive communication strengthens these relationships, shows openness and reassures families that their loved one is being genuinely looked after and cared for.
Improving communication can start with small culture changes that make an overall difference; for example, making family updates a priority and setting clear expectations from the onset. Encouraging two-way feedback is also a good way to create a transparent relationship with family.
Training staff in care facilities in compassion and confident communication can make all the difference to a family feeling reassured and also lead to less complaints. This is easier with tools, such as digital systems, that can make these processes more efficient and standardise updates, so they aren’t missed or forgotten.
By closing the communication gap with families, care providers can strengthen trust and reduce anxiety to create a more confident, collaborative environment for everyone involved. With Log my Care’s software, you can provide families with personalised timelines that automatically update from your logs, so they can be kept in the loop. You can customise what information is shared, from photos and videos to activities and medication.
Book your free demo and see how Log my Care can help improve your care home’s communication with your resident’s loved ones.