One of the toughest decisions that a family faces, is what to do when relatives get older and are not able to care for themselves? When people live in a house for an extended period of time they become very attached to the residence. The house contains a lot of fond memories of earlier days when the owners were younger and children were growing up.
However, as people get older they do not need as much room as when they had a growing family. Plus, for many older citizens the upkeep of a large home can be too much for them. Another factor in the decision of keeping a large home or not would be if a spouse passes away. When an older person loses a spouse, the upkeep on a home might be too much for just the surviving spouse.
For people that are advancing in age and has declining health, the choice on wheterh to keep their home may be further complicated. It’s a difficult decision to leave a home when healthy, and twice as difficult when they are in poor health. The toughest decision for children is seeing a parent advancing in age and declining in health. If that parent needs medical care, it can difficult for them to get proper medical supervision on a regular base. However, an option exists for placing the parent into a reputable nursing home.
Selecting the right nursing home can be a difficult choice, as well. You want to make sure that your loved one is comfortable, has people that they can socialize with and receive the proper medical care that they might need.
When selecting the right nursing home you need to follow several steps. They include visiting several local nursing homes. When there look around, talk to the residents, talk to the staff and administration and get a sense on how the residents are treated. Also, inquire about any restrictions that might exist for visitors and residents. Some questions you can ask are when are visiting hours? How many visitors can they have? Do they have any restrictions on what they can bring?
Sending a loved one to live in a nursing home can be a difficult decision, especially when you are making the decision on behalf of a parent. You need to balance the needs and wants of the parent or other loved one with what is medically best for them. The opportunity to get constant care in a welcoming environment can make the decision easier!
Additional Resources
- National Nursing Home Survey Series
- Help in Choosing a Nursing Home
- Nursing Home Guide
- Nursing Staff in Hospitals and Nursing Homes
- Healthcare Safety and Health
- Nursing Home Overview
- Nursing Homes and Personal Care Facilities
- Nursing Home Quality Initiative
- Nursing Home Care
- Find Nursing Home Services
- Nursing Home Checklist
- How to Select a Nursing Home
- Holding Nursing Homes Accountable for Quality
- Preparing for COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
- Pet Therapy at Nursing Homes
- Nursing Home Visits
- Online Nursing Programs
- Medicare Part A coverage – Nursing Home Care
- Assisted Living or Nursing Homes
- Residential Care Types