Ways to Improve Quality of Life in Nursing Homes

 

The task of caring for seniors in nursing homes is no small feat. While rewarding, the job can be quite challenging. As a provider of care, it’s important to strike a balance between caring and being a professional. This often involves changes in how duties are carried out, and it doesn’t have to involve significant investment in training and acquiring equipment.

 

 

It is the goal of every person at our facility to improve the quality of life of the seniors in our care. Here are ways to do that:

 

 

Always treat patients with courtesy and respect

 

The practice of extending courtesy and respect shouldn’t just stay within the realm of family and friends. This practice should be carried into the caring of senior patients in nursing homes. In other words, they may initially be strangers to you, but they still deserve to be treated with kindness.

 

 

While it’s true that the elderly can be grumpy, and you might find yourself being frustrated with the treatment you’re receiving. Even in such trying cases, it’s important to still treat patients with kindness. Even an action as simple as speaking to them in a polite tone goes a long way.

 

 

Act with confidence

 

Residents can make judgments about your abilities by the way you act. They base how they respond to you on their assessments. Taking this into account, it’s important to show that you’re confident in doing your job. If they see that you know what you are doing, they are more likely to respond favorably to what you ask of them.

 

 

Make sure to practice hygiene and sanitation

 

The last thing you want is for a senior patient to mistrust you. They know they are fragile and can’t help being distrustful of those who don’t seem to care about health and sanitation. As such, it’s important that you do your part in assuring them that you adhere to good hygiene and sanitation practices. For instance, you can cover your cough to show to them that you care about not contaminating them.

 

 

Take note of your activities with senior patients

 

You become the point person of your superiors, as well as the patient’s family members, and even the patient’s doctor with regards to the their well-being. It’s important that you be able to answer any pertinent questions they might have about the patient. To ensure that you remember, write down everything that you did with that patient. Doing so gives medical professionals a picture of what your patient is able to do and how they can further help them.

 

 

While Fallbrook is an assisted living facility and not a nursing home, we understand the levels of care that seniors need. Senior patients are people with feelings, and it’s important to ensure they have a good quality of life while living in nursing homes. Yes, the task may be challenging but the knowledge of having made someone’s life better is quite rewarding.

 

 

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Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper