what are the emotional issues affecting a resident in a Nursing Home?

Question

regarding aged care..

Answer 1

They feel like they have no control over anything in their life. They are told when to go to the bathroom, when to go eat, and they are often parked in a wheelchair in their room or in the hallway. Sometimes they are just left in their beds all day. My sister works in a nursing home and I used to work in nursing homes and retirement communities and it is sad to see people left there on holidays. Their families feel like they are more of a burden so they don't want to have them at their house. I always did something special on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other major holidays for the people that were forgotten by their families.

Answer 2

All the previous answers included really good issues. Loss of Independence is the greatest issue- which really encompasses alot. The residents of a nursing home have no (or very little) freedom to do anything for themselves. They are told when to eat, offered a very limited menu, not allowed out of the resident (unless a family member comes to get them) because they no longer have the ablility to drive or even take a long walk by themselves. Many of them can not get to the rest room themselves and not only feel loss of control over this and their bodily functions, but shame and embarassment when they have an "accident" and it has to be cleaned up. The loss of dignity when an aide has to assist them in the shower or bath. And many staff pick out the clothes for the residents out of impatience and forget to even offer the resident the opportunities to some of those things themselves. They feel frustration when they have to wait on staff in order to do something, and while waiting (sometimes a long time because of staffing issues) they only realize how much ability they have lost. All of these issues contribute to the high rate of depression in the elderly, especially those that reside in nusing homes. They are forced into a living situation where they don't know anyone, may have to have a roommate, that they may or may not like, and have very little room for personal belongings. The staff tells them when to get up, when to eat, when to go to bed, when it's shower time (all at the staff's convenience). I don't want to sound as though I am picking on the staff, because that is not my intention- the healthcare industry is a mess and understaffed- which is why all of this is done in such a scheduled/rushed manner, or the basic care would never get done. It is sad that we can not offer something better to the elderly in our country.

Answer 3

I am a CNA in a nursing home for 10 yrs and alot of them feel lonliness, boredom, real mental depression, anxiety over health and daily issues. They can't adjust to not being able to toilet and bathe them selves or even to walk anymore. No matter what we as ataff do it is very difficult to bring them out of this. One day living at home and driving around the next in a chair with a buzzer on to tell staff when you try to stand up because you are not safe to do so. not a good situation. But with medical advances, we will probably all be there someday. In my home if two married people come in they are automatically given a room together unles they wish other wise. we as staff do ALL we can to make it thier home, because it is thier home. They have resident counsil and a president and vote everything from what they want to eat to what they wish to change. We have 5-6 activities a day and good food. But what we lack is enough help. Not because there is noone, but because the corporation homes won't pay for extra. Nursing Homes get bad raps, but alot of change is needed. From government to state level. We the staff are extrordanary people and love what we do, we are just not supported by the government and out corporations. I recently moved my grandma into my nursing home for rehabilatation and she moved home because she got better.. That is the stamp of approval.

Answer 4

The other two answers say the things I wanted to say ... that 'loneliness' and 'abandonment' are the two WORST emotional issues to living in a Nursing Home ... but there is a 'third' issue ... that if both sides of a 'married couple' are in a nursing home, they are usually 'separated' into rooms so that they have 'roommates' of the same gender they are and are not allowed to 'live in the same room' or 'sleep in the same bed' ... and THAT can be a 'killer' to many old people. It's called 'enforced separation from outside' and it is just plain WRONG!

Answer 5

I would say Lonliness and a abandonment. How would you feel?