8 Myths about Nursing Homes
Have you been misguided by any of your friends or a family member about the functioning of a nursing home? If people have come to you and said that nursing homes are not at all safe for your parents or any other family members and or if you have heard that the staff over there is not friendly and does not cater to the needs of the people living there properly, then trust me you have been consulting the wrong people the whole time. Following are some of the famous and commonly known myths about nursing homes that are entirely false and only serve to misguide people about them.
Another Name for a Hospital:
A nursing home is nowhere near to being a hospital. Instead, it provides health, medical, rehabilitative, and nursing facilities to all the patients living there. The inhabitants lead a completely normal lifestyle and do not follow any curfews or restrictive hours.
There is No Privacy:
It is a possibility that the highest level of privacy cannot be achieved while living in a nursing home because sometimes the room has to be shared with another resident. But this does not mean that the staff and other residents totally invade your right to privacy. The caregivers are also advised to respect the needs and private concerns of each and every resident.
Once Entered, You cannot Leave a Nursing Home:
Most nursing homes come with a goal to bring the residents back to their normal selves so that they can go back to their community to live with their loved ones. It is a misconception that a resident can only leave the home after his or her death. Once the desired level of rehabilitation is reached, a resident is sent back home or to another independent residential facility.
Residents are Not Visited Regularly by Family and Friends:
The family and friends of the residents are encouraged to visit often and can also place their concerns and suggestions at any time.
Meals are Not Appetizing:
Obviously, they have to keep in mind the health of all their residents and must ensure that they get proper nutrition but that does not mean that the taste of the meals is compromised. It is not easy to keep elderly patients happy, thus, they have to make sure that they get fewer complaints.
Patients are Given too Many Medicines:
The patients are only given those medicines that have been prescribed to them by their doctors and are in complete knowledge of the patient and his or her family.
Husbands and Wives Must Live Apart in a Nursing Facility:
The privacy of all the couples is respected by the staff. This is stated in the patient’s bill of rights that if they enter the nursing home with their partner, they can ask for the same room which will be easily provided to them.
Nursing Facility Residents Have to Surrender their Right to Make Decisions:
The nursing home residents do not surrender their right of making any decision to their caregiver. Though they have to be on his schedule but that does not mean that they cannot voice their personal needs and preferences.
Nursing homes basically come with such a social set up for their residents that they never feel lonely and can socialize to kill their time in the best possible way. They are encouraged to eat together and carry out activities that help in building friendly bonds among them while their medical treatment is carried out in the best possible way.