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Although there are more and more nursing homes in our country, there are still too few of them. The numbers speak for themselves - for about one million people who are unable to live independently due to old age, disease or disability, there are only 85,000 places in private and public institutions.

Nursing homes ,retirement homes ,retirement homesare often referred to by opponents as " dying rooms "," shelters "," old people's homes "or" storage rooms ". Supporters argue that they provide professional care and allow the old and infirm to live with dignity. In the past, a parent's dedication to such an institution was frowned upon, but fortunately this is changing.

There are more and more nursing homes where, with a good conscience, you can place a loved one in need of care. Unfortunately, the media most often show places where residents are not treated properly. And yet there are many people in which they feel even better than at home. They are provided not only with 24-hour medical care (geriatrician, psychologist, neurologist), nursing, rehabilitation, and meals depending on dietary indications, but also activities that diversify the time: games and games to improve memory, discussion topics.

Old age doesn't have to mean loneliness

In an aging society, the stay of seniors in such centers will be more and more common. According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland (GUS), by 2035 the number of people over 75 will increase in our country from 1.5 million now to 4 million. Home care is, of course, a very good solution, but you have to take into account the fact that the elderly require the constant presence of a caregiver, and the family cannot always provide this.

- The behavior of Poles resembles those of Western societies, where a significant proportion of retirees move to such centers in their old age - explains Barbara Bartel, psychologist and psychotherapist from the Alfa-Lek Medical Center in Warsaw. - In our country, a traditional multigenerational family is becoming a thing of the past. Institutions that will take over such functions as taking care of us as a senior must be created.

Małgorzata Wilkowska three years ago opened the "Green Land", a 24-hour care facility. For seventeen years of work in the hospitalas a nurse, she got to know what the life of people who are not fully independent looks like, she watched on a daily basis what problems they struggle with. She decided to create a place where those who require care will find not only professional help, but also real home warmth. - Often, elderly, disabled people are very lonely: most of their friends have crumbled, children have had their families for a long time, and they have little time. In the center, seniors may be among their peers with similar problems, but they do not lose contact with their loved ones. They can meet as often as possible, talk on the phone or Skype. The owner of "Zielona Kraina" emphasizes how important the staff is. It is a difficult and responsible job and not everyone works well as a carer for a dependent person, which is why the turnover in such institutions is usually high.

Important

According to the Millward Brown research commissioned by Promedica24, a company that provides care services in Poland and Europe, 88 percent Poles believe that the elderly should be taken care of by the family. Despite these declarations, as much as 49 percent. of respondents does not help seniors at all, and 39 percent. he spends less than five hours a week on this. Those who care admit that they do so at the expense of vacation or rest (24%), social life (23%), and their partner and children (18%).

A parent in a retirement home is a very difficult decision

The existence of such centers is also a way to ensure a calm conscience for adults who are not able to look after seniors in their family. In most cases, it is they who look for a father or a mother for the rest of their lives. Often only when they are tired of caring for their sick and infirm parents for many years. But donating a loved one to a nursing home is never easy. Especially since every now and then the media shows neglected or enslaved by pharmaceuticals old people. The kind of stigma that still exists is a brake: the one who enters a parent to a nursing home is a degenerate child.

- Undoubtedly, the decision to stay in a nursing home for parents or grandparents is very stressful for both parties, explains Barbara Bartel. - It should not be done in a hurry, overnight, unless the patient's he alth requires it. You absolutely shouldn't worry that someone will misjudge you for such a decision. The most important thing is that as soon as we find a facility that meets our criteria and we are in constant contact with the parent, the psychological comfort of life on both sides will improve. It is very difficult to provide round-the-clock care at home. InIn a specialized facility, our senior can count on professional service and - which is very important - the company of people in a similar situation.

Choosing the right facility should be well thought out

Source: lifestyle.newseria.pl

Nursing home for seniors: public or private?

Only a few years ago, state-owned social welfare homes (DPS) were dominant. There were a dozen private ones, usually located in single-family houses adapted for this purpose. Today, this is the amount in a large district of Warsaw or Kraków, and there are 570 of them all over Poland. Admission to a private facility takes place practically overnight. You usually wait from three months to even three years for a place in DPS. It can be applied for by people who, due to their age, illness or disability, have become dependent and require round-the-clock care, impossible to be provided in their place of residence. And this dependence is crucial. The DPS has the right to refuse to admit a person who, despite many illnesses and disabilities, can take care of himself. The procedure related to admission to the Nursing Home must begin with submitting an application to the local social welfare center. It can be done by the person concerned himself, and if he is incapacitated - by his legal guardian. Then the social worker conducts an environmental interview and gathers documentation. Nursing homes offer services that are tailored to the he alth of residents. Some care for bedridden people, others for physically fit people, but for example suffering from senile dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

This will be useful to you

How to choose a good nursing home

  • You have to read as much as possible about this type of facility (e.g. www.domyopieki.pl, www.starsirodzice.pl, www.domyseniora.pl, www.domypomocy24.pl), visit some of them, talk to the staff. Find out what they are offering, and what the prices are.
  • An institution where visits are possible all the time inspires greater trust than one that sets only certain days and times.
  • It is worth taking a closer look at the residents, seeing if they are cheerful or absent and scared. Cleanliness is important, both in the facility and in the surrounding area.
  • A nursing home must meet certain architectural requirements - the building should be comfortable for disabled and elderly people. A lift is compulsory in two-story houses. The facility operator must provide a common room, dining room and space for a laundry or drying room.
  • The rooms can accommodate 3 people at the same time, there must be at least 6 sq m per person. There must be one bathroom for every 5 people, there must be handles everywherefacilitating the use of rooms and devices installed in them. It should be noted whether there are appropriate handles at the bathtubs, and whether the shower is easily accessible. It's good to know if there are suitable handrails and if the stairs are properly secured.
  • Before signing the contract, you should read everything carefully, preferably in your own home, and then clarify even the smallest ambiguities.

There is no shortage of willing people, but …

There are not many people in Poland who are able to pay over PLN 4,000 for a stay in a nursing home. zloty. The situation seems similar to the one in our housing market: the needs are still unmet, but it is difficult to change it, because many people cannot afford to buy a flat or build a house. In the case of institutions for seniors, it is similar. There is no shortage of people who would like to live in a private nursing home (according to CBOS research, 25% of elderly people in Poland are interested in moving to a retirement home), but only a few can afford it. In some Western countries, the state covers the costs of staying in such an institution up to a certain amount (usually 20-30% of the cost of stay). If someone wants to have better conditions and use a private nursing home, where it obviously costs more, he pays the rest from his own savings. For now, it is impossible. In the assumptions of the state's senior policy until 2022 adopted by the government, it is assumed that the priority should be to keep seniors in their current place of residence. According to experts, it is, firstly, more conducive to the elderly enjoying good he alth for longer, and secondly, it costs less than nursing homes.

Important

How much does it cost to stay in a nursing home?

Fees in private nursing homes start from PLN 1,800 and end at several thousand per month. It all depends on the standard (of course, single rooms are the most expensive) and the scope of care. Maintaining an inmate in the state DPS costs about 4.5 thousand. PLN per month. For the person referred by the social welfare center, the facility charges 70% of the fee. pensions or disability pensions. The difference must be covered by the family, and if they are unable to do so, the obligation falls on the commune.

"Zdrowie" monthly

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