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Wann sollte ein älterer Mensch in ein Pflegeheim umziehen?

admin — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 19:50:11 +0000

The best thing for an elderly person is usually to be at home, independent, and healthy. People of all ages want their home, their people, their friends and loved ones, and their habits. Going shopping, drinking coffee at the square, cooking and eating, ideally in company, and generally having all the things we love and that make us happy.

However, life sometimes doesn't go as we wish. Sometimes our health requires medical supervision. Other times, we are left alone, without our loved ones around us.

There are some cases where a nursing home is the best and safest solution for an elderly person. So, when is it better for an elderly person to move into a nursing home?

When the elderly person has health problems that require constant medical supervision

There are many types of health problems: from simple hypertension to diabetes, heart problems, strokes, dementia, and much more. Some problems can be easily managed at home with the right medication. For example, an elderly person with hypertension takes their medication and keeps the situation under control. They do not require daily medical supervision and can easily improve their health with the right diet and exercise.

However, there are also many health problems that are difficult to manage at home. Dementia, for example, means that the person can no longer communicate properly with their surroundings. They get lost and have forgotten the people around them. This person requires constant help and support, otherwise their life is at risk.

More complex health problems, such as strokes, can lead to difficulties in movement or speech for elderly people. The affected person may require regular physiotherapy or other specialists, and it is not easy to stay alone at home. Even if they have a partner, it can be dangerous for an elderly person to lift and support another person.

In such cases, a nursing home is the most suitable place for an elderly person. A care facility has the medical staff to provide care for people around the clock.

When people have neurological health problems

Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and other neurological disorders are progressive degenerative diseases that gradually reduce people's ability to care for themselves.

When an elderly person needs a catheter, infusions, or oxygen, such aids are difficult to provide at home. A nursing home is fully equipped to ensure proper and continuous medical supervision.

When elderly people live and move around in a wheelchair

Living in a wheelchair is difficult, especially in Greece. For an elderly person, it can lead to isolation, with all the associated consequences. There are issues that can make life so challenging that a nursing home might be more accessible and practical.

When an elderly person in a wheelchair lives alone, it can be difficult to shower, get into bed, cook, or take care of themselves. In many cases, the elderly person remains in bed, alone, because they are unable to move safely and care for themselves.

If this elderly person were transferred to a nursing home like The Seniors Plaza, they could move around in their wheelchair, participate in conversations, and lead an active life, rather than being trapped in bed.

When the home is not safe

As we age, we have more specific needs. We require homes with wide hallways, plenty of light, no stairs, and with aids in the bathroom (ramps, grab bars) and other areas. But what happens if the house is old or has floors without an elevator? Unless there is the option to sell the house and move to a more practical apartment, many elderly people prefer the safety of a nursing home, where everything is accessible and secure.

When they are alone

Many times we underestimate how difficult loneliness is. The older a person gets, the more likely they are to be alone: a partner may pass away or children may live far away, which can easily lead to loneliness.

Such a person must actively try to meet with friends, neighbors, and relatives. Each additional loss diminishes the mental resilience for such efforts, until many elderly people often don't even try to find companionship.

It is better for an elderly person to move to a well-organized care facility like ‘The Seniors Plaza,’ where they will have company. Nursing homes organize activities that promote social interaction and communication. An elderly person will be in a large community of other people and have the companionship they so urgently need.

When people have simply grown older

People grow older. At some point, we simply can't manage things the way we used to. Shopping becomes difficult, we can no longer carry the bags from the market, cooking becomes less frequent, and bathing as well as personal care become more complicated.

Even if there is no specific health problem, we simply grow older. We desire simpler and more comfortable things. We want spaces that accommodate us and people who take care of our daily needs.

At a certain point, a nursing home could be the best solution for us.

The senior care facility The Seniors Plaza

The Seniors Plaza is fully equipped and has the appropriate medical staff for elderly people. We offer freshly prepared meals daily, entertainment, and caregiving support for all our residents.

Contact us at (800) 925-63-24 or visit us at our facility in Vathy, Samos, if you believe that you or a loved one would feel safer and happier in a nursing home. We look forward to showing you our facilities and discussing the best care for you!

The post Wann sollte ein älterer Mensch in ein Pflegeheim umziehen? appeared first on The Seniors Plaza - Μονάδα Φροντίδας Ηλικιωμένων, Οίκος Ευγηρίας στο Βαθύ Σάμου.

Was wissen die Kunden nicht über Altenheime?

admin — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 19:53:00 +0000

Is your client looking for daily care for a loved one who increasingly needs it as they age? The parent has been left alone at the end of their life and feels abandoned. The family cannot take care of them, and they can no longer manage without help, so they have decided to place them in a nursing home. This decision deserves careful consideration. Before making a final judgment, the individual pros and cons should be carefully weighed.

Nursing home – one caregiver for many clients

The biggest disadvantage of nursing homes is that the caregiving staff has to attend to many patients at the same time. They do not have the opportunity to care for each elderly person individually, as is possible with full-time care in the patient's home environment. Often, one caregiver is responsible for ten patients who need care. With full-time home care, which is the second possible care option, the elderly person does not feel useless, as if they have been left to spend their days in an environment with strangers.

Fees in senior care facilities

Senior care facilities are not free and charge various additional fees. Therefore, care in a nursing home is not necessarily cheaper than 24-hour home care, although this is commonly assumed. With rising prices due to the current situation—life after a pandemic triggered by war—it's expected that these price increases will be passed on to nursing homes. Of course, the total costs also depend on the type and level of amenities of each facility. Public facilities generally charge less than private ones. Better facilities come with additional fees. Sanatoriums are among the most expensive facilities but offer better quality care. Residences with a pool or sauna are very costly. In such facilities, physiotherapists are often present, and their services are not cheap. Additional fees are often related to better meals due to special diets, a television in the room, or a private room. Sometimes, retirees pay for service packages they ultimately do not use.

Nursing home and numerous restrictions

The disadvantage of nursing homes is often the presence of routine. The course of each day is more or less repetitive. Everything is regulated at regular intervals, which may be appealing to some elderly individuals. However, with home care, there is significantly more variety in daily activities. Most of the time, grandparents cannot take their pets with them to nursing homes—they are attached to them, have built a close bond, and will miss them. However, with 24-hour home care, the pet stays with them.

Nursing home and visits

In nursing homes, visits from family members are only allowed at specific times. Typically, there is one hour per day for visits, with slightly longer time slots on weekends. When a caregiver looks after an elderly person at home, family members can visit at any time. Additionally, nursing home residents do not have as much freedom to express their needs or intervene in their care if something is not right. If they are unhappy with the care in the home, the only option is often to remove the elderly person. Considering the recent situation with COVID-19, visits to nursing homes were very complicated. People were unable to communicate with their loved ones for a long time to avoid risking their health or that of other residents in the home.

Unfamiliar environment and disorientation problems

It is true that the resident in a nursing home has peers among whom they can make friends, talk, watch television, or play cards and chess. However, they may also want to stay alone in their room. Single rooms are usually available in more luxurious facilities, which come with additional costs. An elderly person might feel disoriented in the home since it is an unfamiliar environment at first. This, of course, also depends on the nature of the patient and the diagnosis. If someone suffers from Alzheimer’s and the associated disorientation problems, adjusting to life in such a facility will be very challenging. In such cases, it is better for the person to remain in their own home, where they are familiar and have spent many years. They feel more comfortable there. A better way to stay in touch with peers is for seniors to attend a day care center that is open around the clock, where they can spend time with friends, socialize, or even go on outings.

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