Time stands still for nobody. For families, this means serious consideration needs to be given to planning for the care of elder family members. In many cases, this means evaluating the merits of nursing homes.
What is a nursing home? It is a full care facility for individuals who suffer from a variety of potential issues. These can range from the simple wear and tear that comes with aging to more specific problems such as a function inhibiting problem like a dementia diagnosis of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or vascular dementia. Regardless of the problem, the home is designed to provide the individual with full time care.
The decision to place a person in a nursing home is not an easy one. First and foremost, it usually takes place during a time when the person in question has suffered a development that makes the discuss necessary. The heightened stress and emotions can make it difficult to evaluate the various homes available in your area.
When checking out a nursing home, take the time to first read up on as much information as you can. Next, be prepared to ask boldly ask questions and make sure you get credible answers instead of a pseudo marketing pitch. With this in mind, a few issues you want to focus on include the following.
A nursing home is a care facility. With that in mind, what is the level of training in the home and for the staff? How many licensed RNs are on the staff? Most important, is the staff credentialed to deal with the specific ailment suffered by your family member? For instance, some otherwise excellent nursing homes do not provide care for patients suffering from Alzheimer's.
What is the approach of the nursing home? In the bad old days, patients were treated more like prisoners in that they were often expected to spend most of their time in their room. This meant there was little social interaction. Modern nursing homes incorporate a community approach. Residents are encouraged to do activities together from simple meals to day trips. Social interaction is critical, so make sure the home provides it.
Seniors often have negative views of nursing homes because they feel like they are being shuttled off to wait until their death occurs. That's a horrible fate for anyone, so make sure you are not sending them to such a place. Walk the nursing home without any representatives. Get a feel for the place. Do people look happy? Are they clean? Are the halls clean? How about the surrounding grounds? Trust your instincts and judgment.
Ultimately, a nursing home should provide a resident with a quality of life that is similar to living outside of the home. Take the time to really pay close attention to the details when evaluating a nursing home and you'll have a much better chance of getting the process correct.
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