A nursing home for seniors is for some people a last resort, for others - a chance for a peaceful, dignified old age in the company of people in a similar situation. However, the decision to leave a senior in a nursing home is not easy. How to prepare an elderly person for a stay in a retirement home and is it worth trying to convince them to do so?

Contents:

  1. Senior in a nursing home - concerns
  2. Senior in a nursing home - how to convince?
  3. Senior in a nursing home - joint selection of the center
  4. Senior in a nursing home - show support
  5. Senior in a nursing home - talk calmly

There comes a point in every child's life when they have to decide how to continue caring for their elderly parent. People who live close to their parents and are at their beck and call are in the best situation. It is worse if the he alth condition of the elderly leaves much to be desired and the children live far enough away that the daily commuting is burdensome and there is not enough funds to provide professional emergency care.

Then a nursing home seems to be a good solution. However, in order for a loved one not to feel pushed away, unnecessary to anyone, first of all, he must be convinced to move to a retirement home. How to talk to him about it so that he would understand that a retirement home might be a good option for him? How to start a topic and talk about it without unnecessary negative emotions?

Senior in a nursing home - concerns

Saying that old trees are not replanted is especially accurate in this case - people of a certain age already have their own habits and changing them, even if it seems small to outsiders, can be a real revolution for seniors.

Moving to a retirement home will surely be such a revolution. So it should not be a decision that an elderly person has to make overnight - the pressure associated with it will definitely cause a strong protest. It is much better to think about such a change long before life forces it. Every now and then it is worth bringing up the topic casually, judging the reaction of mom or dad - and not to react emotionally when it is definitely negative.

Senior in a nursing home - how to convince?

Sooner or later, however, the day will come when you will have to have a "serious conversation" with the senior citizen. Perhaps the pretext for it will bedeteriorating he alth, worse memory, inability to perform certain activities, safety issues, or failure to provide the senior with constant, professional care at home.

It is worth emphasizing at the very beginning that it is only a conversation and not making binding decisions. The idea is to make the parent aware that he will no longer be able to live his life as before and he should think about living in a place where someone can look after him around the clock.

If you do not feel strong enough to have such an interview, it is worth asking a psychologist who deals with such situations on a daily basis (such specialists often cooperate with nursing homes and it is primarily there that it is worth seeking support ).

Senior in a nursing home - joint selection of the center

The decision to choose a retirement home is usually made by children, but - because a parent or parents will live there - it is the seniors who should have the right to make a decision. The sense of self-determination is one of the basic human needs, which is why it is worth talking about moving to a nursing home so that the senior has the feeling that, in fact, it is he who makes the decision, and is not forced to do so.

It is also worth visiting several institutions together - if of course there is such a possibility, because there is a choice of them in the area, and such visits are allowed by the state of he alth - and decide which of them will provide the best care. This is a good opportunity to get to know the staff, other residents, the surroundings, see what the room looks like and how a typical day goes.

Perhaps the house, teeming with life and kindness of the elderly community, will seem to the elderly a friendlier place than its own four walls, where, apart from the TV and looking out the window, it is difficult to find other entertainment, and there are no friendly neighbors in a similar situation nearby.

It is worth remembering that older people often have their passions and it is important that they can continue them even while living in a nursing home - if the future resident cannot imagine parting with their beloved cat, they should be able to take it with them, and if loves to work in the garden, it is worth looking for a center that makes it possible.

The possibility of gradual adaptation is also valuable. Perhaps it will be easier to convince a senior to a nursing home if he or she is able to gradually adapt - similar to that in kindergartens. Therefore, it is worth making sure that a given nursing home allows you to bring potential residents for a few hours' stay before they live in it for good. This will allow the senior to gradually get used to the new conditions,will build a sense of security.

If the first meeting is positive, after a few such sessions you can try to organize a stay of a few days - for a rehearsal. This is a good way for the senior to see what everyday life in a nursing home really looks like and at the same time feel that he can return to his old life at any time.

Since the senior will live in the nursing home, he or she should first decide which center to choose

Senior in a nursing home - show support

When trying to convince a senior to move to a care home, you need to show support. This is very important - the prospect of such a move often causes paralyzing fear of abandonment in older people. So it is important to give the parent the certainty that this will not happen, as well as the possibility of contact with loved ones at any time.

This can be done in various ways, for example, equipping the senior with a mobile phone from which he can make calls when needed, and also plan visits together.

Senior in a nursing home - talk calmly

Many elderly people are afraid to live in a nursing home, and this is understandable. If the senior does not want to move, do not force him to do so and do not try to convince him that this is the best solution, because according to the older person it does not have to be.

Instead of getting upset, try to talk to your parent about the current situation, about the difficulties they encounter on a daily basis, and during the conversation, remind them of the events that took place as a result of the lack of professional care. Perhaps then the elderly person will come to the conclusion that the care home will not limit their independence, but will help to develop it, and when the need arises, help will be nearby.

Category:

Geriatrics