Nursing homes still evoke negative associations. Meanwhile, these institutions, competing with each other, offer higher and higher standards and no longer resemble "old people's homes". What should you pay attention to when choosing a facility for a loved one?
Nursing homesare gaining more and more popularity. The number of people who live to old age and require help in everyday functioning is growing. Their relatives face a dilemma: whether to look after the senior himself or to entrust his care to a specialized institution. The latter solution for a senior does not have to mean social isolation and lowering the quality of life. On the contrary, it often has benefits for your he alth and mental well-being. Provided that the senior goes to a professional facility. What should it provide?
Full security
When the weakening physical and intellectual fitness does not allow the senior to function independently, the problem of ensuring his / her safety appears. And this is what most often determines the placement of him in a care facility.
If the facility admits people with neoplastic diseases, impaired consciousness or dementia syndrome, it should have a separate intensive care zone for them.
Safety is a fairly broad concept - it covers nursing and medical care, but also how the building has been adapted to the needs and capabilities of the elderly. The standard in nursing homes is the lack of architectural barriers, handrails along the corridors, large lifts for wheelchairs, but also stretchers, spacious bathrooms, adapted for the disabled. The interior design, which facilitates orientation, is an advantage - for example, marking individual floors with color or wallpapers. It is good if the common areas are monitored and the residents are equipped with signaling devices (e.g. in the form of a wristband) with which they can call for help.
Professional 24/7 care
It is also important whether the facility provides 24-hour nursing and medical care, and has the possibility of organizing external specialists' help. The staff - apart from medical caregivers and a geriatrician - should include qualified caregivers specializing in working with people with dementia, as well as a psychologist, occupational therapists, physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists. The ideal is a computerized logistics system that programs the activitiesindividual staff members, assigning them specific tasks for each day and time. This facilitates the organization of care and allows you to check who and with whom is busy at any time. Before choosing a nursing home, you need to find out the details of the qualifications and number of staff, as well as the care of specialists on the spot.
Worth knowingIndividualized care
The high standard of the care facility is demonstrated by the fact that each of the residents has an individual plan of care, rehabilitation or therapy, adapted to their he alth condition - this applies especially to people after stroke or suffering from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, as well as patients chronically, e.g. for diseases of the musculoskeletal system or the digestive system. A good facility has a kitchen on site, which, based on the advice of a dietitian, adjusts the menu to the needs of individual residents and cooks not only he althy, but also attractive. It is important because for many elderly people tasty food is one of the few pleasures in life.
Freedom and mental comfort
The basis is respect for privacy and care for autonomy - monitoring may only concern the common space, the pupils must have a certain influence on the course of the day and the freedom to choose activities.
For older people, intergenerational integration is extremely important, so it is worth finding out whether the facility involves the local community in its activities, for example by organizing activities with young people.
A good nursing home cannot be like a hospital with some rigor and severity. Seniors sometimes stay there for years, so it is important to create an atmosphere that reminds them of their own home and neighborhood community.
It is desirable to be located among greenery, aesthetic interior design, the possibility of equipping rooms with their own furniture, bedding or personal trinkets. The nursing home should have - apart from the dining room - also a common space where integration is possible (a gymnasium, a hall with a discotheque and a library for meetings, film screenings, a chapel). It's good if it also has cozy rooms with the possibility of making coffee and tea for smaller meetings with co-guests or visitors.
Ideally, seniors should be able to pursue their individual passions or live with their beloved pet. A good nursing home makes contact with the family as easy as possible, for example through flexible visiting hours or Internet access.
Worth knowingKeep fit
An important task of a nursing home is to provide the residents with various activities,which allow you to practice fitness, so that they can function independently for as long as possible. It is worth asking if and how often group gymnastic classes are conducted and whether individual sessions with a physiotherapist or rehabilitator are possible (and with what extra charge). Equally important is the daily, motivating occupational therapy that maintains intellectual performance: memory training, workshops (culinary, art, gardening), music classes, playing games or learning to use a computer (e.g. e-mail or Skype program, facilitating quick contact with loved ones) . Each small success in maintaining or improving fitness contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of seniors and protects them against the depressed mood typical of this age.
ImportantHow much does it cost
Find out which benefits are included and which require an additional fee. The degree of disability of the student / ward may affect the cost of the stay. Examples of prices per month of stay:
- "Józefina" nursing home in Józefów (Care-Experts): from PLN 3800 in a double room
- Olimp Nursing Homes: 2,300-3,000 PLN, depending on the house, number of places in the room and its standard
- Słoneczne Tarasy, Szczecin - from PLN 3,000 in a triple room to PLN 3,700 in a single room
- Hospes Hospiti Sacer, Pobiedziska (Greater Poland) - PLN 2,500-2700