No one wants to place their parents in a nursing home, but sometimes it’s a choice you have to make. Yes, it’s a really hard choice, full of strong emotions. If this is something you’re facing, keep reading. These tips will help you make the most out of your parent’s arrangements, so you can help them have a better life.
Getting older can be a scary stage of life for your parents. The activities that they used to love may not be possible anymore with the changes happening in their body. Recovery after an event takes longer, and they feel far more aches and pains than they ever have. While the golden years can be a time for reflecting on a life well-lived, they can also be stressful because of big lifestyle changes.
One of these changes may come in the form of a new living situation. Their physical health needs tend to increase as they get older, making it necessary to have better access to care services. In some cases, your parents may need to have 24/7 access to healthcare assistance. This is when many elderly individuals end up moving into a nursing home.
What Are Nursing Homes?
Nursing homes are specialized facilities that are built to handle the needs of aging residents that need frequent medical monitoring or attention. They also provide people with a place to live, eat, exercise, and socialize. But sometimes loneliness can kick in, or the mundane nature of the daily routines can make things more stressful. Let’s talk about some tips to help your parents make the most of their nursing home experience.
Decorate Their Room
Typically, nursing home accommodations vary depending on the facility and the type of resident that is living there. Some rooms are semi-private shared rooms connected to one bathroom, while others could be entire private suites with a bedroom, living room, small kitchen, bathroom, and deck or balcony.
Enhance your parents’ living space with a personal touch by incorporating decorations they love. Consider adding potted plants to infuse a refreshing ambiance and surround them with cherished family portraits, creating a sense of familiarity and joy in their new environment. Utilize the existing furniture and elevate the room’s aesthetics with decorative pillows or blankets, making it a warm and inviting haven. And for a finishing touch, explore creative options like wet pour rubber flooring to ensure both style and comfort are seamlessly blended into their personalized retreat.
Staying Engaged
One of the leading causes of depression in seniors is loneliness. The older you are, the more likely you are to know a lot of people who have passed away. Those you grew up with may not be around anymore, and this can be incredibly lonely.
Staying engaged with others is crucial, as new connections can boost your parent’s mental health and provide you with a little more energy. Help them to become familiar with the social calendar at their facility and participate in as many social activities as they can. Hopefully, they will be able to form friendships with others living in close proximity to them, providing the very human need for connection.
Getting Good Sleep
Staying healthy is another way to make the most out of living in a nursing home. While your parent’s body is undergoing changes that you cannot stop, they do have some control over their wellness.
Sleeping, for example, is a very important aspect of health that they can prioritize. Some habits that could be ruining your sleep include:
- Using screens before bed
- Not feeling comfortable in their environment
- Eating late
Trying to eliminate these issues can result in healthier sleep patterns, which means more energy during the day so they can get more done.
Self-Advocacy
It’s very important for your parents to feel like they can stand up for themselves.
As they interact with staff, other residents, or visiting healthcare professionals, make sure that their voice is being heard and that they are being treated well by all parties.
Sadly, according to a conversation with a nursing home abuse lawyer, nursing home abuse and neglect are all too common. It could be as overt as physical abuse and aggressive grabbing or as subtle as failing to help your parents take certain medications. Either way, if you believe your parents may be the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, do not hesitate to tell someone like a staff member or loved one who can help you.
Be Reliable
Finally, you are your parent’s best resource for making the most of their nursing home experience. Especially during the transition period, you are going to need to support and love them.
Those first few months can be difficult, so show your parents that you are there for them and that they can rely on you for visits, facetime calls, and regular phone calls.
Stay in touch with your parents, especially in the early days when they haven’t made a lot of new connections yet. You can help advocate for your parents. Show them how much you love them and want them to live a happy life at the nursing home.
For more information, here is another helpful article about helping aging parents.
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