Visiting Nursing Home Residents
Posted in Featured Articles on December 16, 2011As the holidays approach, this seems an excellent time to discuss visiting your loved ones who live in a nursing home. Many people choose to make a nursing home visit at the holidays. Other people may be trying to establish regular visits with their elderly loved ones. Either way, there are a number of tips that can help make visits go more smoothly.
- Plan ahead. Call and find out when would be a good time to visit – you can ask the resident directly, or you can discuss the matter with nursing staff or the activities’ director. By setting up the visit ahead of time, you give the resident the enjoyment of anticipating it. However, do not promise more than you can deliver. If you say you’ll visit, make sure you actually do so. If you have to cancel, immediately set up another time for a visit.
- Respect the resident’s right to privacy. Knock at the door when you arrive and wait for permission to enter. Remember this is the resident’s home. If the resident is unable to respond or communicate, announce your presence at the door before entering.
- Be affectionate. Greet your loved one with a hug. Hold his or her hand while talking and make eye contact. Remember that some residents only have physical contact when being fed or taken to the toilet. Affection can help the resident feel loved and human, and build self-esteem.
- Consider eating a meal with your loved one. You can call ahead and ask the procedure, how much the meal will cost, for example, and what’s on the menu.
- If possible, take your loved one out of the nursing home for the day. Go for dinner or ice cream, take a trip to the park if the weather is good, and take the resident to the hairdresser’s or to get a shave. These small trips can be a great source of pleasure for your loved one and can help build lasting memories
- Make sure to share your news. Some visitors spend all their time asking about the resident. While that’s important, make sure you share your life with the resident as well – tell funny stories about your day, bring the resident up to date with family gossip or share photos.
- Bring your children! Children can brighten the day of any resident. Make sure you prepare them for the sights and sounds of a nursing home – some residents will be in wheelchairs or using walkers, others may be unresponsive, for example. Children can benefit from the experience too, which allows them to bond with elderly loved ones and come to understand the process of aging.
- If your elderly loved one is confused or disoriented, respond by holding his or her hand and looking into their eyes. The process can take a while, but it will eventually help them to become more comfortable. If your loved one is completely unresponsive, continue to visit and talk to them anyway. While there is much that we do not know about consciousness, we do know that hearing is the last sense to be lost.
By visiting the nursing home often, you will have a clear sense of how your elderly loved one is being treated. You will be able to ensure that the facility is clean and well-maintained, that the staff is competent and not over-worked and that your loved one is being properly treated. You can assure yourself that your elderly loved one is not suffering from abuse or neglect.
More Information:
Tips When Visiting a Nursing Home
Visiting Nursing Home Residents
Tips on Visiting Someone In a Nursing Home
Things to consider when visiting nursing homes
