Nursing Homes – Putting the 'Home' Back in Elder Care

By Karen P Williams

Many nursing homes around the country have gotten a face lift and not just a physical kind. For several elder care facilities they are ditching the regimented care in which people are housed like a hospital and required to take medication at a certain time in addition to having to wear 'lift belts' or use walkers 'just in case.' There is a movement that has these nursing homes listening to their charges and their nursing staff. The companies that own these facilities, and there are several around the country, are putting the 'home' back in nursing home.

The old nursing homes were modeled after hospitals and institutions with an emphasis' on efficiency instead of making a persons stay pleasant and calm. Most of these new elder care facilities seem more like large dorms or apartments for the elderly. There are typically 10 to 30 people to a section with a communal kitchen, dinning and living room areas. And no one is roused at 7 am for breakfast so they could be shuttled back to their room for an 8 am shower. People wake up on their own time and the nurses or a cook will make them something to eat. People are treated like individuals and with respect. Additionally, medications are given when they are suppose to be taken, but delivered to the patients room, no one has to line up to receive medications with everyone else.

Homey touches are all around in these progressive nursing homes such as visits from pets. Many people who enter nursing homes must give up their pets which can contribute to their overall depression about their new situation, but if they know their beloved companion could come and visit with them, this could help their mood immensely.

Having residents become active participants in their care helps give them a sense of purpose. Many residents will willingly help with preparing meals, washing dishes, sweeping or other communal room chores. Other residents may organize a 'help' campaign such as sewing cloth bags and filling them with pencils and notebooks for those children who don't have school supplies in an underdeveloped country.

And many of these 'new model' nursing homes have seen a decrease in the number of employee turnovers in the past several years, something that has always plagued traditional nursing care facilities. By having no more 'floater' employees - nurses who rotate throughout the facility - and instead have a 'consistent assignment' - caring for the same one or few patients everyday they are working - has also seen a decrease in the three major problems facing patients that could be related to the constant changes in caregivers - weight-loss, ulcers and falls. If a nurse sees a patient every three or four days, they may not notice a subtle change in their skin color which could be an early sign of a pressure ulcer from inactivity. Many elderly do not handle change well and having to deal with a different caregiver each day could have a negative affect on their system and psyche.

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3 Responses

  1. The problems you outlined are not just found in nursing homes but even assisted living which is supposed to be and should be resident centered. We learned this while we were caregivers for my elderly father. He seemed to be happy enough with his living situation, but I suspect his life was shortened by this kind of care. We are not faulting the caregivers--it is the company and the system that needs to be rethought. We ourselves would do just about anything to avoid the standard residential options available to seniors. I'm glad that you are working to make it known that there are options out there. Thank you Karen for this post. We blog about our experience as caregivers at www.desperatecaregivers.com Carol Inside Aging Parent Care
  2. <strong>Nursing Home Changing Tactics for the Elderly...</strong> For those that are familiar with the general concept of a nursing home ,or those that have had exposure to one in their personal lives, there are simply various aspects of them that make anyone uncomfortable. Quite often, these places are actually more...
  3. This is a very comprehensive update on the state of elder care facilities. I am glad to hear the traditional negative aspects of such places are diminishing, and that they are become less like institutions and more like "homes". This post will be very helpful for people worried about their elders in such facilities, or those starting the research for a loved one.
  4. Thanks Karen for the article. Glad to hear that nursing homes are starting to change. Do you have any examples of the nursing homes that are doing what you mention? Thanks.