As they say, some people are scared of aging. The idea of losing the beauty that was once there makes others feel scared of reaching the age of 85. Some think that being in a nursing home will mean that you're going to be there for the longest time and you're going to be alone with other people who are not blood-related. In this article today, we will discuss the:
a.reasons why some elderly find it difficult to stay in a nursing home
b.ways to help the elderly people find hope in their stay at the nursing home with the help of Flexispot's nursing chair
I. Reasons Some Elderly Find it Difficult To Stay in a Nursing home
In an article, it was stated that mood symptoms are one of the problems that old residents of nursing homes experience. In the interview conducted, as narrated in this article, the team was able to help the elderly people pour their hearts out and express their perceptions of their sadness. So, they set up an interview with twelve people and found out three main themes:
a. Decay and Loss of Agency:
The agency mentioned here is the whole body system. In the interview, a lot of our dear elders felt that they already lost their ability and agility. They felt like they lost function and their health already deteriorated. They also perceived that the frustration they felt was caused by their reliance on long-term healthcare,
b. Loneliness Amidst the Crowd:
The elderly people in this particular nursing home confessed that they felt lost because they could not contact their loved ones, there's no one to talk to within the nursing home, and others were preoccupied with the same problem
c. Denial of their Current Emotions by Putting them at Bay:
Most of the resident elders hide their true emotions by ignoring them and accepting their current situation and re-orienting themselves just to get by.
So, looking at these results, we may conclude the management of the nursing home should also give attention to their resident's emotional and mental state although managing their behaviors and mood swings are challenging and could be a slice of tough meat indeed because communication between the attending nurse or caregiver and the nursing home residents. At times, due to their ailment, disability, and other conditions caused by old age, the attending nurse finds it difficult to get along with them. The following are the things that nurses usually experience:
-The nursing home resident tends to throw tantrums or be violent at times.
-They become uncooperative and choose to withdraw from reality
-Once they withdraw from reality, they start acting inappropriately in public.
These difficulties hamper the communication between nurses and nursing home residents. It is not easy to work in that kind of environment but one can easily work things out if they would learn to put their feet in the shoes of the nursing home residents. As old age creates fear among them, loneliness kicks in as well. Imagine being with the same circle of people for many years, being the head of the family, managing and deciding for them then suddenly, you'd be sent to a nursing home just because you're getting old that makes them lose confidence and self-esteem. Hence, the start of depression.
With these, finding the right kind of support for these people is a must. Thus, in the next part of the discussion, we will be discussing:
II. The Ways to Help the Elderly People Find Hope in their Stay at the Nursing Home
The life of the nursing home residents should not end on the bed and wheelchair. Death may be a morbid thing to think about but as a reality, that's where we will end up one day. However, the thing is, how could one make another person's life meaningful and colorful? In this part, let us know how we can effectively aid them in overcoming fear and isolation:
a.continuously connect them to their families: As mentioned earlier, the nursing home residents become homesick and long for their children and grandchildren. Hence, it is important to let them feel like they are not living away from these people who are dear to them. Send them messages, invite them over, ask them to always check on their parent or grandparent. Through this, they would feel that they are not abandoned and they still matter
b.enjoy music together: Sing along with them, listen to them as they sing their heart out, and be one of their fans. As the music is the healer of the heart, you are the healer of the soul. Having someone appreciating them would make them feel relieved and accepted again.
c.reminisce over old photos: Try to connect with them by asking details (whenever they feel willing to do so) of the people in the photo. Details that could
help them practice their memory, serving as a brain booster. They might be saying the same story over and over but try to incorporate activities that are different from the other so you may have variations.
d.get some fresh air: Let them breathe fresh air and allow them to see nature instead of staying in the room watching T.V. This could give them a new perspective. You could both start a project too which would help them stimulate and spark their creativity which might have been stuck up for many years.
e.encourage them to create an active and healthy lifestyle: According to Harvard Medical School, the elderly should exercise still to maintain independence and sustain mobility. Even with a simple core strengthening with an ergonomic chair such as Flexispot's 2in1 Fitness Chair which is considered a posture chair too because it has a supportive seat cushion and a breathable mesh fabric backrest that could help them sustain stability while trying to get in shape again. With the proper supervision during their exercise, their stay at the nursing home would be a fun time.
III. Final Thoughts:
Old age is simply inevitable. It is something we cannot stop from happening but what makes it a wonderful chapter is when we find people who'd stay with us when the time comes that our hair strands turn gray and the only thing we could remember are our names.
