nursing homes and care
By hoseasmate
@hoseasmate (720)
United States
November 2, 2012 6:52pm CST
I'm new to mylot and I'm really surprised to see so little posted in this forum on nursing homees. What is posted seems to from long ago. As babyboomers age, I think that there will be a greater focus on care for the elderly. I think a large percentage of the residents in a long term care facility are those that have no family or who have a high level of care. This may change to those baby boomers that are looking for a social club in which to live, share interests, and age. I think that facilities will have to undergo culture change that will allow the resident to make more choices and be highly involved in their own care. The facilities will have to offer dietary choices; will have to have internet services; and will have to re-vamp activities from just a couple of bingo games to those which will stimulate and hold the interest of individuals that are used to having what they need just a key stroke away. Even the physical plant will have to change. The rooms will have to go from just two or three electrical plugs to offering enough power to charge a phone, plug in the laptop, power a television and radio, and of course the bed will have to be one that can be operated electrically to provide optimum comfort. I think these things should be currently offered in nursing homes, but I fear that facilities will continue to slug along until change is mandated.
4 responses
@Suebee (2013)
• Canada
29 Dec 12
Baby Boomers that are looking for a social club in which to live, share interests and age do not belong in a nursing home. Nursing homes are for people who have failing health, for those that cannot care for themselves or who need help with activities of daily living i.e. those that have had strokes, diseases associated with aging (such as Alzheimers Disease) or other diseases...dementia, congestive heart failure, cancer, diabetes, liver problems etc etc etc. A nursing home is not meant to be a social club.
Nursing homes already encourage residents to be as independent as their health allows them to be and to be involved in their own care. At every nursing home I have ever worked at, dietary choices ARE offered. Residents are able to have televisions, radios, internet..whatever. Of course they have to pay for their own internet service or cable service, just as one has to pay for it in their own home, house, apartment, whatever.
There is a long list of people waiting to get into nursing homes, people who are not capable of caring for themselves, who need help with activities of daily living. People are accepted into nursing homes according to their health needs. If you are merely looking for a social club, you'd best look elsewhere.
Are you aware that there are all kinds of Seniors Residences that provide a more social atmosphere for people who are aging? Places where elderly people who still have relatively good health can enjoy independent living with other aging people? Where they have shopping trips, trips to casinos and a wide variety of activities that they can participate in?
@Suebee (2013)
• Canada
30 Dec 12
We also have activities for our residents according to what they are capable of doing. Some go on shopping trips, picnics in the summer, sight seeing trips to see the fall colours in autumn, to see the Christmas lights in the winter, out to restaurats, arts and crafts, baking etc. However, it is far from being like a social club and yes, some of them go to bingo as well.
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
29 Dec 12
In the state of Oklahoma we are mandated to provide activities for each resident according to their age level and ability. That means if a resident is unable to get out of bed to participate in the scheduled group activities, that there must be activities provided in the room for that resident. The activities are music therapy, art, reading, memory aid like activity in recall, and now it has been mandated that the activities also be of a type that promotes range of motion and incorporates some form of exercise that would benefit the individual. Our activity directors are charged with coming up with interesting things for the different resident population to enjoy. The residents we serve live for those out of facility trips that take them shopping or just simply to view the Christmas lights. The home I work in houses those with mental issues and behavioral problems. This requires a specific set of activities and the residents we have must constantly be redirected and encouraged to become involved in activities.
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
• St. Peters, Missouri
29 Dec 12
I don't know about nursing homes, I haven't had much experience recently. However there are some very nice senior living homes nearby that are fantastic. I was in one frequently recently when a resident asked me to come in to teach him to use his computer. The Internet was provided and they had quite a few activities going all the time. He wasn't in failing health, but he did need frequent care. It was very nice and I would consider this more of a social atmmosphere.
In the US, there really is a big difference between these types of facilities and nursing homes. In fact near me, there are four distinct types of living arrangements for seniors. The difference is mainly the amount of independence the adult has. Nursing homes are generally the ones that require 24 hour nursing care. There is no independence. So I think instead of changing what's available in nursing homes, they've just added different types of living quarters. The ones that would qualify or need the nursing homes, wouldn't be able to make use of these things.
1 person likes this
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
29 Dec 12
There are a lot of the combination facilities here. They are called CCRC's and are considered continuum of care facilities. The residents first live in the independent living side which is merely an apartment that is rented to them. They may then need help with medications or stand-by assistance with showering and this enables them to qualify for the assisted living centers. Once the health deteriorates and there is a need for twenty four hour nursing care the individual must move into the nursing facility. The other part of the nursing facility is a dementia unit or Alzheimer care wing where those with deteriorating mental status will be safe. I see these centers are mostly for those with money to afford the apartments and the assisted living because most I know are private pay only. The nursing facilities then become the home of choice for those who don't have their own funds to pay for nursing care, either at home or at one of these 'elite' centers. We actually have a large percentage of our residents that have mobility and only are housed in the facility because they must take their medications in order to function.
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
3 Nov 12
It is true that these things are becoming more prominent even among the elderly. I can't see any of the changes occurring in the nursing homes I am familiar with. I had internet hooked up in my son's room but I had to do that myself and had to use DSL which was really slow - but better than nothing. With all the budget cuts these things are the first to go. Families have to pay for their own cable if they want television even!
I do think internet and the other things you mentioned are very important items that need to be incorporated into the daily lives of the residents.
I do think internet and the other things you mentioned are very important items that need to be incorporated into the daily lives of the residents.@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
3 Nov 12
Yes, I have been in both the nursing homes that offer cable and internet as part of room and board and those that charge a flat fee or leave it up to the resident to purchase their own services. I really think the satisfaction level of those who have services provided is much higher than those who are expected to pick up the tab for what we see as necessary services.
@natliegleb (5175)
• India
3 Nov 12
that is a great feel for sure and we can enjoy the time spent in nursing homes
@hoseasmate (720)
• United States
3 Nov 12
I think that is the goal of the providers of nursing home care. They want to make the stay of the elderly an enjoyable one.
