As dementia progresses, it may be prudent for the suffering person and their carers to think about alternative accommodation like nursing homes for dementia patients.
These are ideal for persons who have late-stage dementia and cannot get the care they need at home or in assisted living facilities.
The nursing homes typically admit individuals who can no longer care for themselves.
This implies that the person may be incontinent, cannot walk and bath or feed themselves, or even communicate effectively.
On this note, it is important to note that nursing homes have undergone major transitions over the years.
They are no longer the boring and scary homes that the elderly detested.
They have upgraded to try and offer cozy and fun accommodation to those in need.
Let’s look at some of the reasons nursing homes for dementia patients are a great choice for weak individuals.
Why Nursing Homes are Great for Dementia Patients
Round The Clock Supervision
Nursing homes are well-equipped to handle the needs of persons who need 24/7 care. Staff members undergo specialized training to provide quality care for all the people in the facilities.
A majority usually have different degrees of medical training which means that they can comfortably offer assistance with tasks such as administering IVs, medications, injections, caring for wounds, breathing treatments, and other medical responsibilities.
Also known as skilled nursing facilities, the homes also provide other services such as speech therapy, physical occupation, and rehabilitation services.
Offers Caregivers Great Peace of Mind
It can be very stressful to leave a person who has late-stage dementia alone at home.
You might even stay with them all day and night and still not offer the proper care they require.
Relatives and friends get to enjoy great peace of mind when their loved one is in a good nursing home. It also creates opportunities for spending quality time together when they visit the ill person in the home.
When the person with dementia is at a premium nursing home, it also implies that relatives and friends can go back to their normal routines seeing that the ill person is in the right environment.
Relief from some of the caregiving responsibilities is always welcome from the caregivers.
Availability of Suitable Programs
Good nursing homes for dementia patients usually put in place appropriate programs that help to enrich the lives of the residents.
These include fun group and solo activities that the weak people can engage in comfortably depending on their abilities. These are put in place to help with things like socialization.
Dementia can be a very lonely disease where affected persons opt to keep to themselves.
The nursing homes can take care of these because they offer a place where peers can live together, open up and share their experiences as they engage in some fun activities.
This is important because it helps to keep away from health issues like depression and anxiety.
Proper Nutrition
There are high chances that a person with dementia will get proper nutrition when they are in a nursing home.
The level of expertise, as well as experience of the staff in such homes, gives them an upper hand when it comes to choosing the right foods for the residents.
They also have the know-how of feeding persons who have challenges with this daily activity.
This also contributes to the peace of mind of their loved ones because they will go about knowing that their ailing relatives or friends are eating and drinking well.
Eating proper foods and healthy diet help to boost the immune system enhancing the health of an individual.
Enhanced Safety
When a person has dementia, loved ones live in constant fear of their security. This is because a person may wander a lot, or they may be at risk of falling and getting hurt.
These are some of the fears you get to burry when dealing with reputable nursing homes for dementia patients. These facilities are designed with the residents in mind.
Here you will not find long flights of stairs or slippery flooring.
The homes put in place all the necessary safety measures so that the weak persons have nothing to worry about. Note that the homes are also highly-regulated; thus, must stick to a certain code of conduct if they want to continue operating.
Counseling Services
Because of the changes that people go through because of dementia, many nursing homes also extend counseling services to residents.
This is where weak persons get to talk to professionals about their problems. It may help a person to accept their current situation especially for those who are still in denial so that they can better manage the illness.
Counselling has also been known to improve quality of life by reducing feelings of depression and aggression amongst others.
Physical Exercise
When a person with dementia lives at home without round the clock care, they might lead a sedentary life that is not good for their health.
Nursing homes for dementia patients try and get the residents moving as a means of enhancing their health. Some even have in-built gyms and professional trainers who guide the residents through age-appropriate workouts and activities.
It is especially useful for seniors recovering from accidents because it speeds up the restoration of joint function and movement.
Encourage Independence
Great nursing homes encourage residents to be as independent as possible. The care units are built in such a way that they factor in the evolving needs of residents.
This allows them to move more freely than they would at home. Residents in nursing homes also have state and federal rights.
This is where they can choose personal schedules so that they can be as comfortable as possible.
Closing Thoughts
In most cases, people end up living in nursing homes for dementia patients permanently. This means that choosing a facility should not be taken lightly.
You must perform due diligence to ensure you select a nursing home that meets all the needs of the person with dementia in a satisfactory manner.
After all, you do not want your loved one to be miserable over controllable factors during their last days.
Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home neglect and abuse is a horrifying reality happening in some of our communities and affecting our elderly. When we place our loved ones in a nursing home, we expect staff members to treat them with respect and dignity. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Levin & Perconti have put together a great guide on everything to know about nursing home abuse, including signs of it, how to prevent it, statistics, and a ton more. Check it out: Nursing Home Abuse Guide
