Life in the Nursing Home

The nursing home can become either a dread or a joy for your relative depending on the type of home you are putting them in. This is why you must take extra care to find them a good and reliable nursing home. 

It is not unusual for some older people to live in the ursing home for long periods of time. Most elderly people die there so the home must be the type that is  worth living in for your relative. 

It is important for you to do follow-up checks on the home and your relative to ensure they are being treated properly. There is usually a period of 2-3 weeks for the transition from your home to the nursing home to be made. So, you need to be patient with your relative as they make the transition. They may behave strangely within the transition period. This is to be expected. The nursing staff should however help you as you try to convince your relative this indeed is their new home.

The following behaviours may be exhibited by your loved one when initially admitted into the nursing home. Your relative may: 

• Call you throughout the day: Don’t be surprised if they keep calling you. They just want to hear you and be assured you still love them. 
  
• Cry: Yes. Your relative may cry when being admitted into the home. He or she has a lot going through their mind. So please bear with them. 
  
• Not Eat: This may be a sign of protest against being taken to the home or just a loss of appetite arising from worry and anxiety that has to do with moving into the home. 
  
• Be Depressed: Depression often follows older people moving into a nursing home. Try to assure them that all will be well and you are not abandoning them. 
  
• Show Challenging Behaviours (i.e. acting out): When they exhibit a strange behaviour, try to calm them.

But after the transition period and finally settling down, you may still discover the following behaviours in your loved one:

• Upset: They may be upset with the new life they are now living. The home, to them is not full of friendly and lovely people like home. 
  
• Lonely: Loneliness is one of the first signs they missed their relatives and friends at home. 
  
• Depressed: This happens when there is no one to talk to and relate with.
  
• Scared: Being in a new place may make them scared. 
  
• Worried: They will worry about you, their lives and welfare.

These behaviours are what should be expected from someone moving from a known world to the unknown world. So, don’t ever be angry at their behaviour. Be patient and understanding.

When you are visiting the nursing home ensure you look out for the following:

• Staff Interaction: It is advisable you visit the home at different times of the day in order to assess staff interaction with residents and particularly your relative. Look for the way the staff handles each resident. This is a clue to the type of life in the home.
  
• The response of the home to your questions: When you have a question, how does the home staff handle it.
  
• When visitin the home, ensure you check the feelings of your loved one. Is he scared, angry, depressed etc and tahe necessary action to tackle the feelings.
  
• Check the overall build up of your relative. Is he too fat or too lean? If there is change, it must not be too much.

Never leave the total care of your loved one to the nursing home. Make sure you visit the home regularly to see things for yourself and how your loved one is coping with life in the nursing home.