Are Nursing Homes a Safe Place for Seniors?

Age in Place: Are nursing homes really a safe place for seniors?

There comes a time when your parents, grandparents or other relatives, and close ones who reach their senior age need special care and professionals that can provide it, due to various medical conditions or just for the specific needs a senior citizen has. Placing your relative in a nursing home can be a difficult decision to make, as many of us are concerned with the quality of life our loved ones will receive and find it hard to put them in the hands of strangers. This decision must be analyzed objectively and ultimately be in the best interest of our senior relatives and the whole family.

Choose a nursing home with a reputation

Safety is most often the primary concern of the family, as there are very unfortunate cases where nursing homes failed to deliver that and were not professional. These cases were addressed and sanctioned, but it’s best to make sure the nursing home you choose is recommended by other people, that the staff communicates openly and the residents are happy. Do your best to visit the relatives you have in a nursing home as often as you can, check on their emotional and physical health and living conditions.

Nursing homes should provide safe living conditions for aging parents

For patients with chronic illnesses, being in a nursing home is much safer than being at home by themselves. Even if you do take the time to visit them regularly and provide basic care…

=> the relative with no medical training and the need to take care of their own lives will find themselves in a very difficult situation. <=

Not having enough time, dealing with overwhelming situations or not identifying underlying problems in time can be very stressful on both the patient and the caregiver. Unless you can provide around-the-clock medical home assistance, a nursing home is your best option.

In a nursing home, your loved one has around-the-clock professional assistance. Providing that it’s not understaffed, a home will make sure the shifts are reasonable for the employees, so that they are rested and able to provide all the care needed. Someone will always be there in the case of a fall or emergency and will know what to do in that situation. More so, in case of an unexpected situation, more members of the staff can intervene, it’s not just one person who takes care of everything.

Professional staff personnel

Another advantage of nursing homes in terms of safety is that all good nursing homes are very careful when hiring their staff and perform background checks on them: any disciplinary issue in their past will be taken into consideration when they are evaluated. Also, a lot of nursing homes require their employees to report any misconduct of their colleagues and keep the environment safe and professional.

Think about the well being of your parent, and if they can’t live happily on their own anymore, you should consider safer living environments. It’s not a decision you will make in a day or two, so before making a final decision assess the pros and cons.

Ultimately, choose a nursing home that is entirely dedicated to taking care of the elders and there are many ways in which it provides more things than you could provide at home. The enclosure is designed to monitor all the people that go in or out and know at all times when a resident is visited. For residents with Alzheimer’s, making sure you know at all times where they are is crucial, as often they might wander off and get into dangerous situations. Good nursing homes have discreet security technology that does not make the environment feel restrictive, but keeps residents safe without alarming or bothering them.

One should also think about the less obvious benefits a senior citizen has when being a resident of a care home.   Trained members of staff not only have the medical knowledge to intervene physically, but can also manage agitated or scared residents and calm them down. Experienced nurses know everything there is to know about patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. They will make sure your parents are in good hands, and that their needs and wants are carefully attended.

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