צוות iSavta | 13.11.2019

 

Nursing homes provide a wide range of health care services and 24-hour supervision to its residents.  Apart from medical care, residents may also take advantage of rehabilitation services such as occupational, physical, and speech therapy.  But, families find it difficult to decide when to consider moving a loved one to a nursing home.

Caring for an aging patient entails hard work and a lot of time. Assess your current conditions and check if your loved one can do daily activities on his own.  These activities include simple ones such as eating with a spoon and fork, getting out of a chair unassisted, or wearing clothes like a sweater or pants on his own.  Moreover, ask yourself if the elderly can prepare meals on his own, manage finances and transactions without help from anyone, or taking a bath or using the toilet without assistance.  You will also need the assistance of a specialist or the patient’s primary care physician to evaluate his physical and mental status. If the result of your assessment say that the elderly person is unable to do daily activities on his own, then having a paid-caregiver to focus on your loved one would be a great option.  However, if you are not comfortable with the idea of having a paid-caregiver in your own home, it is best to put your patient in a nursing home to provide him the 24-hour supervision he needs.

Families could feel guilt and anxiety putting their patient in a care facility. They feel that it is their responsibility to take care of their loved ones in their own homes. However, if you are unable to balance your work life and personal life with your caregiving responsibilities, it is better to consider putting your loved ones in a nursing home.  Caregiving burnout impacts the caregiver’s health very much, and could lead to one's health and mental decline. The care for a patient is also emotionally draining and you could easily lose your temper if you lack rest and patience. Some important relationships and responsibilities could significantly suffer if no assistance to the family is provided. 

To those who are unable to provide their loved ones an in-house full-time caregiver, there are some situations which necessitates a patient to be supervised in a care facility.  Patients who experience severe illness, injury, and dementia need optimum care and placing them in a nursing home is the solution. If your patient has Alzheimer’s and it has progressed to the point where you are getting hurt or when they exhibit behaviors you are unable to control, then perhaps it is time to move your loved one to a nursing home. 

Choosing a good care facility is necessary to secure that your loved one gets the primary care and attention they need. Ask around your community or your friends for recommendations.  Search online for feedback on these facilities and drop by some facilities to feel the place yourself. Continue the support and love to your patient by planning well and getting the best possible nursing home for them.