Deciding to place a family member in a nursing home constitutes a big decision for families and for that person.  Then researching and choosing a place can be overwhelming, too.
I knew, when I moved my mom from her home 275 miles to ours, that eventually I’d have to place her in a nursing home. Since I’d been through this with my aunt’s care, I realized that, at some point, caring for Mother would be more than I could manage.
So I began researching before I moved her.  I located a nearby nursing home that, fortunately for Mother and me, had daycare facilities …read more

AlzheimersNotes.com
In my Alzheimer’s Word of the Week post last week, I wrote about nursing homes and mentioned some people didn’t like to mention the word.  Alicia, blogger at Mental Health Notes, wrote a very enlightening comment, which I think gives insight into the varying reactions to this term.
The term “nursing home” always strikes different emotions from different people, doesn’t it? I think it’s due to a variety of reasons (the poor reputations some nursing homes have, the idea that putting your loved ones in a nursing home is neglectful and selfish, the sad fact that some people actually do “dump” their loved …read more

AlzheimersNotes.com
As I consider the activities used with Alzheimer’s patients of my mother’s era, as well as movies shown and music played, I realize these may change as a younger generation, essentially Baby Boomers, reach the Alzheimer’s stage.  They won’t recognize some of the movies and music, will enjoy some of the same activities, but many different ones, too.
I recall visiting Mother and finding the residents entranced by World War II era and earlier movie stories.  They sang songs that Mother sang to us as children and from her earlier years. 
Languages May Differ
Also, languages spoken in nursing homes may vary, too.  …read more

AlzheimersNotes.com
The use of restraints, to keep Alzheimer’s patients from wandering, getting into unsafe areas, escaping out-of-doors, raises much controversy, especially when connected with nursing home residents.  There’s a balance with a fine line that separates safety from abuse in most people’s eyes.
More nursing homes and elder care agencies continually research ways to keep patients safe without severe restraints.
*The use of alarms that go off when a patient tries to get out of a wheel chair.
*Alarms that signal the opening of a door into an area where the patient may be unsafe.
*The use of a tray across a chair that might …read more

AlzheimersNotes.com

Golden oldies songs, movies with stars from the 40s and 50s, memories about churning butter, World War II photos…these contributed to the activities residents participated in while Mother lived in a nursing home.  These activities might bring back memories, make residents feel comfortable in a familiar era when all around them may seem strange, and calm them if they’re agitated.
However, with people from a more recent era developing Alzheimer’s, the activities in nursing homes may need changing to reflect this.  They won’t have so much familiarity with the music, movies, and memories of their parents’ days.
Cultural Differences
Also, with more and more cultures (and …read more

 AlzheimersNotes.com
Once your Alzheimer’s family member has entered a nursing home, is it wise to take them on trips or visits to your home?  Will this confuse them more?  Or will it give them pleasure and a respite from nursing home life?
This all depends on the Alzheimer’s patient’s condition, the family’s ability to take them for trips, and the situation that awaits them on their journey.
After Mother began living in the nursing home, I didn’t take her away from the premises (except to move her to a second nursing home when the first one closed).  Before that, when Mother lived in her …read more

AlzheimersNotes.com 
I was fortunate because Auntie and Mother received very good care at the nursing homes where they resided.  Auntie, with no funds of her own, was a Medicaid patient.  Mother was a private pay patient, and all her funds were used up for her nursing home stay of nearly nine years.
However, I have no complaints about either patient’s care.  They had become my responsibilities, so visiting them and monitoring their care fell to me.  Auntie resided in a home in New York State and Mother in two nursing homes in New Hampshire.  (Her change was necessitated because the first home ran …read more