Why are care homes given a bad reputation?
Answers
Many factors can give a good or bad reputation to a place. A nursing home can earn a reputation by how the staff takes care of the folks and the cleaning of the site. People always ask questions, such as “Do the seniors get bathed and clean clothing daily?”, “Are the beds changed often?”, “Is the food good?”, “Are the staff friendly?” If you do not get an acceptable explanation to the above questions, the care home will not be considered proper. Some care homes with staffing issues may run a higher risk for abuse and neglect, giving the care home a bad reputation.
I’ll share my experience with one of them. My grandfather was in a five-star nursing home, so I was surprised when I visited – there was a lack of personnel, as all the patients on his level sat in one room with one person watching them from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. when they put them to bed. They ate their meals, had entertainment (someone reading a newspaper to 20 people, at least half of whom had Alzheimer’s), and piped-in music in that one room.
The one nurse in the room was attempting to feed at least ten patients who could not eat independently; she rushed from person to person, giving each one a spoonful of food; no one appeared to have more than two or three bits. We decided that we could pay the same amount to a caretaker in our home with the money we were paying for the place, and we had him discharged. For many years, Dad lived with my parents and a caregiver who took him for walks in his wheelchair, served him nutritious meals, cleaned and groomed him, and put him down for a sleep every afternoon. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, please pay them frequent visits since they will receive better care if the facility knows you are watching!
They earn the reputation by the way seniors were cared for before. Before the nursing home reform act in the 80′s, there was no regulation of “old age homes.” Terrible things happened in many of these residences, and the word spread. No one wanted to ever go to one of these places, but many people had no choice, and the elderly and the mentally disabled without means were often placed in them. But things improved somewhat and nursing homes gradually replaced those residences.
Staff training and staff ratios are mandatory, and standards are so high that it’s no longer a low-paid job for the uneducated. Family members also are very much involved in the whole process of establishing a suitable environment. Of course, there continue to be problems in caring for the elderly. Verbal and physical abuse, negligence, and thievery are common in nursing homes. Nursing homes should have case managers whose jobs are to advocate for patients. Still, unfortunately, these professionals are usually under a hefty caseload and sometimes are not the most caring people.
With the image of caring houses formed by the media, it’s no surprise we consider putting older adults in them immoral. You may be obsessed with whether your loved ones lead a happy life there or not. It often resembles a prison, but for the elderly as a punishment with a service provided in a clinical facility. It has a bad reputation because it is traditionally shown with fluorescent lighting and cramped and dull spaces with lifeless older adults with no energy and hope as if the care home is their last place.
Some people need constant care that is far more than a caregiver can provide. But the truth is your beloved may have a residence there until recovery from a medical condition. The image of nursing homes has to get reconfigured. With this picture conveyed conventionally through media, it seems cruel to put older adults in such places, which is inaccurate.
Nevertheless, there may be wrong places for your loved ones. They may offer services that are not well-suited to some people, and finding an appropriate care home may be complex with the growing number of people in need of such care provided in nursing homes. It is true, though, that there are some bounds to the freedom of people there.
Caring houses hold many events, and chances are for opportunities for community building, but under constant monitoring and strict control. Due to the service offered and the level of specialized care provided, there are many regulations for meals to ensure that older adults get their needed nutrients, bedtime, and medicine are constantly checked to help seniors with trouble remembering.
They earn the reputation by the way seniors were cared for before. Before the nursing home reform act in the 80′s, there was no regulation of “old age homes.” Terrible things happened in many of these residences, and the word spread. No one wanted to ever go to one of these places, but many people had no choice, and the elderly and the mentally disabled without means were often placed in them. But things improved somewhat and nursing homes gradually replaced those residences.
Staff training and staff ratios are mandatory, and standards are so high that it’s no longer a low-paid job for the uneducated. Family members also are very much involved in the whole process of establishing a suitable environment. Of course, there continue to be problems in caring for the elderly. Verbal and physical abuse, negligence, and thievery are common in nursing homes. Nursing homes should have case managers whose jobs are to advocate for patients. Still, unfortunately, these professionals are usually under a hefty caseload and sometimes are not the most caring people.
