I recently overheard two gentlemen talking about the negative stereotypes that nursing homes have come to be associated with over time. I was amazed to hear these things since I have had four grandparents spend time in nursing homes before their passing away and never realized people had unfavorable feelings towards them. This triggered me to research the topic and find out exactly what goes on in nursing homes and how they are beneficial to people who need assistance in their everyday life. I went into this research experience unbiased and willing to have my opinion be established on the facts I retrieved through my investigation. After much research, I now completely believe nursing homes are not the dreadful places the stereotypes say that they are and it is represented by the professional health care providers, the activities provided for the elderly, and the flexibility of care homes.
One of the most inaccurate stereotypes I found is that nursing homes have no regulations put on the facilities and the providers that are employed are not trained. People believe that the qualifications to work at a nursing home are low and there is no accountability to make sure nursing homes are kept up to par. As Susan Berg reports in her article, Consider the positives of nursing homes, “There are many regulations that must be followed, and at least once a year, the Department of Health inspects the nursing home I work at,” (Berg 1). She also goes on to say that the results from these inspections are available for anyone to see so people can look at these numbers before making a decision to go to that specific nursing home. If I were putting one of my loved ones in a home, the skill and qualification of the care providers would have to be adequate for me to consider the place. As Maria Zain describes in her article, Reasons To Favor Nursing Homes, “Nursing and care homes have trained staff in administrating health care to their clients…with a strict regime logged in at nursing homes, the elderly will be able to receive the appropriate medical attention they need,” (Zain 1). This can comfort someone putting their loved ones in a nursing home because older people have tough times keeping track of their medications so the trained staff is a tremendous help. A huge decision factor in my parents putting my grandparents in a nursing home was the issue of safety. Leaving my grandparents home alone was dangerous with increased crime rates and also falling with no one to help them up. At nursing homes, all activities are done with supervision so my parents felt much safer with the nursing home approach.
I learned through my research that one of the stereotypes about nursing homes is that the residents are not given anything to do and suffer depression because of this. I believe this is the exact opposite because if a senior citizen stays at home with their child, they usually watch a lot of television or sit around until the other members of the household return. “Most nursing homes are equipped with exercise activities that help the elderly keep fit. Keeping fit curbs old age depression and the feelings of unworthiness,” (Zain 2). Another beneficial aspect to the nursing home is the social circles that are provided for the elderly. Instead of sitting alone all day thinking about the lonely memories from the past, senior citizens can socialize and make friends in the nursing home environment. Talking with people in their situation help keep their minds moving forward instead of regretting things from the past or missing a previous spouse. I know from my families experience when my grandpa went to a nursing home, he ended up meeting new people and always talked about the good conversations he would have with his new friends throughout the day. Keeping busy is one of the biggest ways people can keep their minds off previous sad memories, and activities in a nursing home do a sufficient job of making that a priority.
The flexibility of nursing homes in my opinion can be the final factor that pushes a family over the line to commit in putting their loved one in a care home. Most facilities are extremely flexible in the services that they provide. The majority of the homes will allow the residents to stay for the day and return home to their families at night if that is what the family wants. Some families prefer to have their loved one home for the weekend, but spend the week at the nursing home, or vise versa. This is perfectly acceptable and works out good for both the nursing home and the family. The residents can attend religious services in the nursing home for the most part, or request a way of transportation to a church. The nursing home will try to make the residents stay as comfortable as possible and that usually requires a great deal of flexibility. Twenty-four hour a day care is provided if needed as well as three meals a day. In The Nursing Home Placement Handbook, it states “hot, nutritious meals are provided and special diets can be accommodated” (Department 4). The flexibility of the diet caters to what the resident is allowed to have or required to have from their doctor.
Nobody is looking forward to the day when they are not able to care for themselves enough to be put in a nursing home. That much is true, but what I am arguing for is that people look at both sides of the equation and realize nursing homes are not similar to the negative stereotypes surrounding them. I am not being naïve in the fact that there probably are nursing homes out there that don’t meet all of the qualifications and are not suitable for senior citizens. That is why I feel families should look into nursing homes before hand and compare different ones because there are a lot of nursing homes that provide safe, friendly, and convenient alternatives for family members. The fact that nursing homes are required to be inspected every year and that information is available to potential residents should be taken advantage of by the family. I remember my family did a lot of comparing between nursing homes when deciding where to put my grandparents, so when the time came my whole family felt at ease about the nursing home. That is the best way to do it because the majority of the nursing homes do not follow the negative stereotypes so finding a good nursing home shouldn’t take too much extra time. “Also, since family members no longer have the stress of routine care, they are able to have more energy and time to devote to the emotional needs of their family member. The relationship can be more relaxed and enjoyable” (Department 4). This is a huge benefit of nursing homes that many people don’t think of, but can pay huge dividends to a great relationship with a loved one in their final years.
Works Cited
Berg, Susan. "Consider the positives of nursing homes." 1 July 2007. Web. 11 Nov. 2009.
Nursing Home Placement Handbook. Social Work Departments, 16 July 2005. Web. .
Zain, Maria. "Reasons To Favour Nursing Homes." 18 Jan. 2008. Web. 11 July 2009.
Red = Emotional (7 out of 15 46.66%)
