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 and would take her for weekends whenever I have to be away.  When Mother needed full time care, it was easy to move her here.

However, that nursing home began to have financial difficulties and before long discontinued operations.  When I began to get a sense that I might have to move Mother, I researched other nursing homes. 

Fortunately, when I moved Mother, it was only about 1/2 hour away.  This nursing home came highly recommended by a friend whose mother stayed there.  I also visited, met the administration and some staff, attended a workshop offered there, and got a sense of the care and facility.  This home worked out well, and Mother lived there for eight years before her death.

For more information on choosing the right care facility for your Alzheimer’s family member, you may want to check out, Alzheimer’s Care: From Group Homes to Nursing Facilities at Everyday Health.com.

Post from: Blisstree

The Nursing Home Decision for Your Alzheimer’s Family Member

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 ones in nursing homes and fail to visit them, etc.). It’s sad that, because of these things, those of us who’ve solicited the help of experienced, round-the-clock care are frowned upon by some people. When really, nursing homes are the only responsible options many people have.

The media, in their reports, often focus on the neagative aspects of nursing homes and mention those that may not measure up.  Many nursing homes do a great job, as I found with Mother and Auntie.  These ladies were well cared for in their respective nursing homes, a fact that  gave me peace of mind when I could no longer care for them adequately.  Then when I visited Mother and Auntie, I could relax and enjoy them, bringing them joy, too, I hope.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

The Positive Side of Nursing Homes for Alzheimer’s Patients

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.  There will be more residents from other countries, who have learned English here, but still recognize their native tongues which are different from the earlier generations.  The staff may need to have knowledge of languages other than English to communicate.

Already nursing homes find there are differences with the newly admitted residents over those of 10 or more years ago.  

What have you found, if you work in a nursing home?

©2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Baby Boomers – Will They Require Different Alzheimer’s Care?

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 latch in place but not deter normal movement.

*The use of a half rail on the bed so the patient doesn’t roll out.  I was informed, that in some cases, a full rail was considered a danger because the patient might try to climb over, whereas with a half rail they would be stopped from rolling but not restrained.

Restrain for safety, yet allowing enough freedom has become an issue in many situations.  Perhaps when you see that someone in a care facility or a private home appears to be restrained more than you consider appropriate, inquire first about the reasoning before  jumping to conclusions.  What is safety and what is not?  

What are your thoughts on this issue?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Do You Believe in Restraints for Alzheimer’s Patients?

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 languages)  represented in our country, the activities will have to reflect this, too.  I was reading about the need for staff members in nursing homes who spoke languages other than English.  Various regions of the country will have a predominence of certain languages.

For instance, New Hampshire, where I live, has long been influenced by the province of Quebec, Canada, where French is spoken.  In other parts of the country, Spanish is a more common language.  You’ll find a variety nationalities and cultures throughout the United States.

When Alzheimer’s patients revert to their past, they also may lose some of the familiarity with the language they spoke most recently.

Have you encountered any of these situations?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Will Activities for Alzheimer’s Patients Change with the Times?

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 home and then ours, I did take her for rides and jaunts.

However, once she entered the nursing home, Mother developed her own world.  She thought she was home.  That “home” changed periodically from the one where she lived with my dad for more than 50 years, the boarding house where she stayed when attending teachers’ college, the farmhouse where she grew up, or a relative’s home she might visit. 

We took her for strolls, and later in her wheelchair, around the lawns at the nursing home. But she always seemed glad to get back to her room and “Aunt Nell.”  For a number of years she had the same roommate, a lady she thought was Aunt Nell from her childhood. 

My family and I visited Mother frequently, joined her for holiday meals at the nursing home, participated in activities, enjoyed tea parties as we did when she lived in her home, and sometimes simply sat and read or wrote letters. 

For you, something else might be the solution.  Your family member might like meals in a restaurant, holiday celebrations in a family member’s home or rides around the area looking at scenery.  Generally, as Alzheimer’s becomes more pronounced, taking them from the nursing home will only lead to confusion.  However, each family has to make their decision.

What has worked well for you?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Should You Take Your Alzheimer’s Family Member on Trips from the Nursing Home?

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 out of funding and had to close.) 

I also had cared for Auntie and Mother before they moved to nursing homes so I was aware of some of the challenges that caregiving involves.  When I visited, never announcing my visits beforehand, I saw them receiving very good care.  I did take a great deal of interest, asking questions, learning about Alzheimer’s, inquiring about medications, spending time with them.  Whether this made a difference, I don’t know.  But I can give those nursing homes high marks where my relatives were concerned.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t have these positive experiences.  I found an interesting discussion on a forum at Alzheimer’s Weekly.com that may give you some ideas about what to do and where to turn if you do have concerns about your family member’s nursing home care.  Check out Nursing Home Care – Fighting Nursing Home Neglect.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Nursing Home Concerns? Check This Forum