Hearing of a nursing home may give rise to unpleasant feelings. Not a few films and television shows depict this orphanage as a place that makes the elderly unhappy. In fact, nursing homes for the elderly are not always bad. Come on, identify the advantages and disadvantages of nursing homes in more detail in the following article!
According to the National Institute on Aging, a nursing home is a facility that offers health and personal care. Seniors who use this facility are usually over 70 years old.
Most nursing homes are filled with people who do not have a partner, whether it is divorced, never married, or their partner has died. There are also elderly people who choose this home as a place to live even though they have friends or family members.
Elderly people who want to spend the rest of their lives in nursing homes have certain reasons. Generally, they are elderly people who have health problems and have difficulty living alone.
In addition to having problems with physical health, it turns out that mental conditions also affect the reasons for family members to leave the elderly in nursing homes. For example, dementia is the most common mental health problem as you get older.
Therefore, more than three-quarters of the residents of this orphanage have problems with memory so that they do not understand their current position from time to time.
The Advantages of Nursing Homes for the Elderly
In the past, the elderly may not like nursing homes, due to the government's lack of attention to these facilities. However, over time, the funds allocated by the government for these facilities for the elderly have increased.
No wonder there are more and more homes for the elderly that are equipped with complete and adequate facilities, making them comfortable as temporary residences for the elderly. Here are some of the advantages that can be obtained through nursing homes for people who have entered old age:
1. Having advanced medical services
One of the advantages of nursing homes for the elderly that made them choose this facility is that it offers elderly care, including advanced medical care. Generally, nursing homes have medical services similar to those offered in hospitals.
The elderly who have recently undergone surgery or treatment usually get treatment here. This is because older people require a higher level of care, while the hospital stay is much shorter than before.
Health services at each nursing home will of course vary, but usually include the following:
- Provide skilled elderly nurses.
- Orthopedic treatment, such as muscle, joint, and bone problems.
- Treatment for respiratory disorders.
- Postoperative care, such as wound care.
- Antibiotic and intravenous therapy.
Not only paying attention to physical health, there are several orphanages that provide nutrition counseling, social work, and recreational activities. This is so that the elderly feel healthy and comfortable to live their days in nursing homes without worrying about their health conditions.
2. Make it easier for the elderly to interact with others
Apart from getting advanced health care, another advantage of this home for the elderly is that they can interact with other people.
You see, most of the elderly may choose to live apart from their children and grandchildren so as not to bother them. However, not a few of them may be lonely because they live alone or alone with a partner and occasionally with a nurse.
By being in a nursing home, the elderly will meet more often with people their age. This is because nursing homes often hold events and activities for the elderly that allow residents to socialize with one another.
Talking and spending time with other people is quite important, especially so that older people are healthier and happier. The reason is, as people get older, people tend to find it difficult to have friends of the same age they can talk to.
3. Carry out regular daily activities
When the elderly live at home with family members or alone, they may feel bored more quickly. How not, the condition of the body makes the elderly unable to move as much as when they were young.
Meanwhile, nursing homes for the elderly provide regular daily activities. Starting from getting up in the morning, having breakfast, exercising for the elderly together, until the evening is arranged by the orphanage manager. Everyone will respond to regularity differently because some people like it and some don't.
Therefore, one of the advantages of this home is that it can help the elderly reduce boredom. However, it all depends on the activities offered by the nursing home and how the elderly respond to these activities.
The services mentioned above are based on the description of nursing home services in developed countries, such as the United States.
Disadvantages of Nursing Homes for the Elderly
In fact, nursing homes provide a variety of offerings to the elderly. However, not a few feel that a nursing home is not an ideal place to live for the elderly.
For some elderly people, living in a nursing home can actually cause discomfort. In fact, it could be that living in this orphanage makes the elderly feel depressed. This can happen because the elderly are not free to be in this facility.
For example, the elderly cannot freely choose the daily food menu or activities they like. In addition, there is a possibility that the orphanage has poor quality services when compared to being at home. As a result, people who have entered old age are not healthier, but fall sick more often.
Nursing homes may seem scary or unpleasant to the elderly. Not to mention the feeling of being betrayed or feeling abandoned by the family while there.
Therefore, when you want to entrust the elderly to this orphanage, make sure that the elderly do not mind. In addition, make sure that the orphanage is the best choice to help the elderly be healthy and happy to live their days.
Reference :
Nursing Homes. AGS Health in Aging. Retrieved 1 March 2021, from
https://www.healthinaging.org/age-friendly-healthcare-you/care-settings/nursing-homes
Residential facilities, assisted living, and nursing home. (2017). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved 1 March 2021, from
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/residential-facilities-assisted-living-and-nursing-homes
Your guide to choosing a nursing home or other long-term services and supports. Centers for medicare and medicaid services. Retrieved 1 March 2021, from
https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/02174-Nursing-Home-Other-Long-Term-Services.pdf
Senior Housing Options. Retrieved 1 March 2021, from
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia-aging/senior-housing.htm
