What is a Nursing Home?
A home registered for nursing will provide personal care (help with washing, dressing and giving medication), and will also have a qualified nurse on duty twenty-four hours a day to carry out nursing tasks
Nursing homes are for people who are physically or mentally frail, or people who need regular attention from a nurse
Some homes, which are registered for nursing care, can also be registered for a specific care need, for example, dementia or terminal illness
Homes registered for nursing care may accept people who currently just have personal care needs, but who may need nursing care in the future
Note on terminology:
- Apart from in Northern Ireland, where it is still used, the term nursing home has been replaced by ‘care home with nursing’
- Homes where nursing is not provided, formerly called residential care homes, are now generally referred to simply as ‘care homes’
The benefits of a nursing home are:
- Health care services – amongst the most obvious benefits of skilled nursing facilities is the personalized health care services offered to residents. These services typically include regular administration of daily prescriptions, medical attention when needed, emergency medical services and 24-hour health monitoring services. Having on-site medical care available from registered nurses and health care providers is crucial to an older person’s safety and well-being
- Safety – the elderly are frequently targets of physical, emotional and financial abuse. Living in an assisted living facility offers the ageing a protected environment to help insulate them from possible abuse. Imagine the potential problems if an older person was living alone and forgot to lock their front door at night, due to Alzheimer’s or dementia suffering. Nursing homes offer greater levels of security and protection than ageing people, who are living alone, or are unsupervised
- Access to resources – while living in a nursing home, residents enjoy easy access to whatever resources they might need. Nursing home residents don’t have to worry about learning how to use the internet, or holding on the phone while trying to obtain information. The nursing home staff will help residents find the information they need quickly and efficiently
- Relieving the family – many family members become caretakers for elderly parents or relatives. Many of these people have their own lives with busy work schedules, children, obligations and so on and don’t have enough time to attend to their own personal lives, while at the same time providing constant care to their elderly family members. By living in a nursing home, the senior citizen is taking a burden off their younger family members and is also receiving care from dedicated professionals, who are available 24-7
- Specialised health care – skilled nursing facilities are staffed by registered nurses and they have the ability to provide proper health care to seniors with serious health conditions. This level of care is above and beyond what a family member can provide. Many of the serious diseases that plague the elderly, such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, cancer and diabetes, require health care by a medical professional. Living in a facility with 24-7 health care services will maximize an older person’s health and safety
- Assistance with daily tasks– nursing homes provide assistance to their residents with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, drinking, using restroom, running errands and administering medicine. Typical daily tasks can become increasingly difficult with old age. Many older people lose their driving licence at some point and are no longer able to drive to shops and to see friends
- A built-in social network of their peers – Older residents can enjoy the company of others who are living in the same facility and who can share their experiences. Many nursing facilities also offer organized social events open for participation from all residents. Many senior citizens suffer from depression due to feelings of isolation from living alone and not having access to social outlets
- Housekeeping – the nursing home staff will take care of laundry service, dry cleaning and general cleaning services. Cleaning can be an arduous task for many aging people. Having an on-site cleaning staff can prove to be valuable and save time and energy
- Food provided– nursing facilities provide all meals and snacks. Many facilities offer various meal plans to cater to different tastes and dietary requirements. Some facilities also offer meal planning services with a licensed dietician to ensure that their residents are enjoying a healthy and balanced diet. The food services and meals provided are incorporated into the nursing home cost
