Author Topic: nursing homes (Read 3778 times)

PenitentWoman · « **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2012, 02:26:17 PM »

Quote from: Tiffany

Quote from: PenitentWoman
So sad. :cry:

Around Christmas time I started taking the baby to visit the nursing home that is right by where we live. Elderly people just seem to love babies. We have started making it a regular thing for after mass on Sundays since we have no family obligations like other people do. It is so sad to me how few of the residents have visitors that come, especially on Sunday of all days.

One of the ladies has knit 2 hats and a blanket for my little girl. So sweet.

Maybe you could bring her some yarn, look next time you are at a thrift store, look on Craigslist or just ask around, there might be a knitter in your parish with a stash of yarn and she would be thrilled to give some to a nursing home resident. Caron Simply Soft is a soft yarn and it's about $3.50 a skein @ Wal-Mart.

Great idea! I will do this. :smile:

SouthernBelle · « **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2012, 05:48:57 PM »

Nursing homes are a sad reflection of modern life.

Medicine has allowed people to live longer, but not necessarily healthier. This often means that the elderly today require care that a family member (usually a female, often with children still at home - thus the term the "sandwich generation") is simply not able to give. I've known several people who have had to put a loved one in a nursing home; the decision was not made easily, and did not bring any happiness. But when caring for an elderly parent begins to consume a household, there is nothing morally wrong in looking for help elsewhere.

As for the care given in nursing homes, it's true that there are good and bad examples. Unfortunately, like in many areas, money talks. Additionally, the vast majority of nursing home patients are Medicare recipients, which pays next to nothing. This means that the homes must, in turn, pay the lowest wages to healthcare personnel, which tends to attract the least professional, least attentive caregivers. It also means that many homes are woefully understaffed for the amount of patients they have.

As a nurse, I used to get nursing home patients in my hospital ward (telemetry). I would never say that the patients we got were neglected, but some were better cared for than others. The best cared for patients were the ones that had attentive staff and attentive family. Sad to say, we used to often get patients in the hospital who never had a visit or even a phone call from family, but the nursing home nurses would call and check up on them.

jman123 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2012, 01:43:52 PM »

Quote from: SouthernBelle

Nursing homes are a sad reflection of modern life.

Medicine has allowed people to live longer, but not necessarily healthier. This often means that the elderly today require care that a family member (usually a female, often with children still at home - thus the term the "sandwich generation") is simply not able to give. I've known several people who have had to put a loved one in a nursing home; the decision was not made easily, and did not bring any happiness. But when caring for an elderly parent begins to consume a household, there is nothing morally wrong in looking for help elsewhere.

As for the care given in nursing homes, it's true that there are good and bad examples. Unfortunately, like in many areas, money talks. Additionally, the vast majority of nursing home patients are Medicare recipients, which pays next to nothing. This means that the homes must, in turn, pay the lowest wages to healthcare personnel, which tends to attract the least professional, least attentive caregivers. It also means that many homes are woefully understaffed for the amount of patients they have.

As a nurse, I used to get nursing home patients in my hospital ward (telemetry). I would never say that the patients we got were neglected, but some were better cared for than others. The best cared for patients were the ones that had attentive staff and attentive family. Sad to say, we used to often get patients in the hospital who never had a visit or even a phone call from family, but the nursing home nurses would call and check up on them.

Modern society is bad in a way on treating the elderly.

songbird · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2012, 03:58:11 PM »

We would bring the family dog to visit, a pekingnese. He was born blind and he was gentle and his nose was very strong. After a year of visiting, he licked one patient too much and that resident died within a week. The residents love dogs and when our dog would come to visit, he got so excited, because he loves getting his lovin's. A resident asked, is your dog a therapy dog. Well, no, but his therapy is getting his lovin's.

songbird · « **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2012, 03:59:59 PM »

When I said our dog licked a patient and they died later, I don't mean our dog did it. Ha! But he did this with our mom before she died as well, animals know.