If you are currently thinking about moving your loved one into a nursing or retirement home, you might be worried about what will happen to their physical and mental health while they are living there. Luckily, there are many steps that you can take to keep your loved one happy and healthy during their time in a nursing home, and here are just some of them.
Choose the Right Nursing Home
If you are worried about the health and well-being of your loved one, the best step to take is to ensure that they have moved into the right nursing home in the first place. You should make sure that the nursing home in question has good reviews and that you and your loved one feel relaxed and comfortable when you visit it. You should make sure that the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and that they provide the right type of care for your loved one. For instance, you might need to look for a dementia care home in Mansfield if your loved one has Alzheimer’s or another memory-related condition. You should also make sure that your loved one’s potential nursing home is clean, that they offer nutritious meals, and that they set up engaging activities for their residents.
Visit Them Often
Although your loved one may be getting all the care that they need now that they are in a nursing home, you should make sure that you visit them and spend time with them as often as possible. Many elderly people in nursing homes struggle with their mental health or feel incredibly lonely and visiting them can keep them social and improve their cognitive abilities. By visiting them, you will be able to keep them energized and engaged and will ensure that they have an event to look forward to at all times. During your visit, you may also encourage them to get involved in the nursing home’s activities and days out, which your loved one could be reluctant to participate in right away. This can then protect their mental health and stave off issues such as depression. You might also consider taking them on a day trip somewhere exciting that you know they will love.
Advocate for Them
You should also consider being their advocate, especially if they are unhappy with an element of their lives and when it comes to their medical conditions. As well as speaking to team members about their health, you should stay in regular contact with the nursing home, ask for updates, and ensure that you look out for signs that your loved one’s health may be declining. You may notice issues that staff members have not picked up yet, or that you know to be out of character for your relative. They may also tell you about symptoms that they have not spoken to employees about. This will mean that they are able to get the treatment that they require as quickly as possible.
