It's okay, every once in a while we may have a thought or two about the
misconceptions concerning nursing homes and we may wonder if these are
true. There are many stereotypes about the negative things with such
agencies and I wonder where they come from. Perhaps they were
developed from the very early days when nursing homes were becoming a
popular way of care and there weren't very many regulations at the time.
Well, whatever it is, I am hoping to settle a few of these preconceived notions
and explain what really goes on in a nursing home.
Misconception #1:
The residents in nursing
homes are very lonely. Many people think that living in a nursing home
means these individuals never see anyone, especially their families. It
is actually quite the opposite. Many individuals in nursing homes comment
on the immense difference between living at home and living in a nursing
facility when it comes to interaction with people. In actuality, people
are more likely to be much more lonely in their homes than they are in a
nursing home. There are always around the clock caregivers that are
constantly checking up on the well-being of each resident. And yes they
are caregivers and they are paid to interact with the residents, but each
caregiver (especially here at Sunshine Terrace) has a goal to not only help
the residents, but to also be their friends to enhance the nursing home
experience. Apart from caregivers, many facilities have therapeutic
recreational activities in which residents interact with more staff and other
residents thus creating more friendships. And families are here all the
time! We have lots of people coming in and out of this place!
Misconception #2:
There is no privacy for residents in a nursing home. Yes it's true, caregivers are frequently coming in to check up on residents. That is something they are required to do. If they didn't, that would kind of defeat the purpose of why individuals are in a nursing facility. However, there are rules and regulations regarding privacy; it is mandatory that each resident receives his/her own sense of privacy and when caregivers are with a resident, they are required to provide as much privacy as possible.
Misconception #3:
Nursing homes are like hospitals. A lot of people are afraid of hospitals which may be why people are scared of nursing homes too. Many think that hospitals and nursing homes are the same........and they're not. Hospitals are a place where the sick and injured are to reside in hopes to get better and eventually leave; it is temporary. And yes, nursing homes usually have a part in short-term care (here at Sunshine Terrace we have a rehabilitation center which is short-term). But many residents live here, like, for good. This is their home. So a nursing home has a different approach on how they present themselves compared to hospitals. Instead of rushing to get you in then get you out, here we understand this is home for many people and we take care of it as such. I guess you could say that nursing homes are houses with medical attention readily available.
Misconception #4:
Caregivers use restraints to control residents. Okay.....this is absolutely not true. As stated before, nursing homes are, well, homes and it is not our philosophy to control each residents and it is simply ridiculous (and illegal) to use any type of restraint. Now, there may be an instance where a resident is causing imminent harm to themselves and/or those around them. If that is the case, caregivers are legally allowed to use a minor restraint to prevent anyone from getting hurt. You may say "Well, a caregiver will just use that excuse to use restraints on everyone." Again, that is wrong. There are strict (and I mean strict) regulations concerning forms of restraints. I can promise you that these ways of harm-prevention will not be abused! If you ever have a suspicion of abuse, you have every single right to report it!
Misconception #5:
Nursing homes are on the caregiver's schedule. I believe this is one of the biggest misconceptions about nursing homes. While it holds true that caregivers do have lunch breaks and such, these breaks are needed. If any of you have been a caregiver before, you will understand that in order to help other people, you need to take care of yourself. So that starts with the simple things such as small breaks, eating, drinking, etc. Now I am not excusing those that abuse these schedule breaks. Once again, there are tight restrictions concerning a caregiver using their time wisely. Nursing homes (like Sunshine Terrace!) are taking a more holistic approach in providing the needs for residents. Individuality is key with us and we know that if each individual is taken care of with good, consolidated timing, the outcomes will be phenomenal.
So what do you guys think? Any other myths you've heard about and/or would like to discuss? If you have any requests as to what we should post on our blog, please feel free to let us know!
