When Your Loved One Says "I Want to Go Home" — What It Really Means and How Home Care Can Help.
Published: June 24, 2025 | Reading Time: 5 minutes
When Mrs. Peterson, a beloved Chicago resident living with dementia, whispered to her daughter, "I want to go home," it wasn't the house she was missing. It was a deeper, emotional yearning for familiarity, comfort, and security.
For many families, this phrase can be heartbreaking. But for home care professionals, it's a vital clue into the emotional and cognitive state of a loved one. At Percipience Home Care, we help families understand and respond compassionately when these moments arise.
Why Seniors with Dementia Say "I Want to Go Home"
This phrase doesn't always mean they want to return to a specific place. In dementia care, "home" often symbolizes safety, routine, and recognition.
Common meanings include:
A longing for familiar routines and comfort
Disorientation or confusion about time and place
Feelings of fear, anxiety, or overwhelming loneliness
Desire for people or places from their childhood or past
A need for emotional security and belonging
Understanding this phrase as emotional communication allows families and caregivers to respond with empathy instead of correction.
How to Gently Respond with Care
Correcting or arguing rarely helps and can increase distress. Instead, the most effective approaches come from compassion and genuine connection. Our caregivers are trained in gentle, memory-sensitive techniques:
1. Validate Their Emotions
Say something like, "I understand. That must be hard" or "Tell me about what you're feeling." This acknowledges their emotional experience without dismissing it.
2. Redirect Gently
Offer a calming activity, favorite snack, or engage them in a familiar task. Sometimes a simple change of scenery within the home can help.
3. Use Sensory Comfort
Soft music from their era, familiar scents, cherished photographs, or textures they enjoy can help ground them in the present moment.
4. Stay Calm and Present
Your energy and demeanor set the emotional tone. Remaining calm and patient helps create the safe space they're seeking.
Real-Life Compassion: A Percipience Caregiver Story
When our caregiver Aisha arrived for her afternoon shift with Mr. Hamilton, he was pacing and repeating, "I want to go home." Instead of insisting he was already home, Aisha sat beside him and gently asked, "What do you miss most about it?"
He mentioned his garden and how he loved watching things grow. Aisha then brought out a small lavender plant they had been tending together on the windowsill. As they watered it and talked about the purple blooms, he gradually calmed and smiled, grounded by this meaningful connection to his past.
This moment illustrates how understanding the emotion behind the words can transform a distressing situation into one of comfort and connection.
How Percipience Home Care Supports Families in These Moments
Our dementia care services are built around emotional understanding and routine-based care. We serve families across Chicago and surrounding counties, offering:
Specialized Dementia Care Services:
Personalized care plans tailored to each individual's history and preferences
Companion care focused on emotional connection and meaningful activities
Daily living support provided with dignity, patience, and respect
Trained caregivers who understand memory-related behaviors and communication
Family education and support during difficult transitions
Our Approach: We recognize that every person with dementia has a unique story, personality, and set of needs. Our caregivers take time to learn about who your loved one was before their diagnosis, incorporating their interests, routines, and preferences into daily care.
Creating Home Wherever They Are
Your loved one may not remember your name, but they will always feel your kindness and presence. At Percipience, we believe home is not just a place but a feeling we can recreate through compassionate care and genuine human connection.
When your loved one says "I want to go home," let us help you bring the comfort, security, and familiarity of home to them, wherever they are in their journey.
Our experienced team understands that these moments require patience, creativity, and above all, heart. We're here to support both you and your loved one through every step of this challenging but meaningful journey.
Ready to bring comfort home?
Call us at (773) 676-6583 or visit www.percipiencehomecare.com to speak with a care advisor today. Let us help you create moments of peace and connection for your loved one.
