The Pros and Cons of a Nursing Home

Do you know nearly 1.4 million people across the United States live in nursing homes? This number will only increase in upcoming years. Parents are the biggest blessing on earth and they deserve the best possible care in the world.

Every adult’s life gets to a time where certain essential questions must be asked: Are my elder relations still secure at their home care Tucson (or wherever they are receiving care?) Do they require assistance with day-to-day tasks? Is it becoming too difficult for them to complete specific household tasks? Is it getting too much for them to purchase a home?

This is generally when the subject of nursing homes comes up. And, to talk about this option, we need to look at the pros and cons of a nursing home.

What Is a Nursing Home?

A nursing home is a residential care facility for the elderly or disabled. Skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, old people’s homes, care homes, rest homes, convalescent homes, and convalescent care are all terms used to describe nursing homes.

Nursing home facility nurses are responsible for caring for the medical requirements of their patients as well as being in control of other staff, depending on their position. Nursing aides and experienced nurses are available 24 hours a day in most nursing facilities.

These nursing homes use Care Home Software to monitor elderly activities. Even if your loved ones live elsewhere, this software helps you connect with your family members and contribute to the resident’s profile. By using it, you can privately message family members. You can also attend an activity or event with your family members where you can meet your loved ones too.

Nursing Home Care versus a Residential Care Facility

A regular residential care facility is not the same as a nursing home. The main difference is that in a nursing home, medical care is always provided by a qualified nurse on-site.

Nursing homes and residential care homes both give care and assistance 24 hours a day, but nursing homes provide a greater degree of care.

How Much Does a Nursing Home Cost?

Nursing home care is roughly twice as expensive as assisted living. Residents in nursing homes usually have a range of chronic medical requirements and require assistance with a number of everyday chores, such as bathing and toileting.

Residents in nursing homes get round-the-clock care and medical supervision from qualified medical personnel. Nursing home services include wound treatment, injections, catheter care, and dialysis, among other things. In independent or assisted living homes, such services are not usually available.

Nursing home prices, like the cost of living, salaries, and taxes, vary considerably across the country. Nursing home prices are often greater in states with a higher cost of living, such as Hawaii or New York, than in those with a lower cost of living, such as Kansas or Arkansas. Nursing homes provide a higher level of monitoring and care than assisted living communities, but not as much as hospitals.

The price of this high-level treatment varies by state and facility. In 2020, the typical annual cost of nursing home care for a semi-private room was $93,075 and for a private room was $105,850. A semi-private room at a nursing home costs $7,756 per month, while a private room costs $8,821.

Reasons Why People Might Live in a Nursing Home

The most common reason for older people living in nursing homes is a disability that prevents them from performing activities of daily living. However, the following factors may also influence whether a person lives in a nursing home.

Dementia

Dementia is still the most frequent reason for living in a nursing home. More than three-quarters of nursing-home residents have difficulty making everyday decisions, and two-thirds suffer memory difficulties or forget where they are.

Caring for a dementia patient can be overwhelming. Families often get to the point where skilled care is needed. In many cases, moving an aging relative to a nursing home isn’t a sign that you’re giving up. Instead, doing so may be the best decision for their health and yours.

Behavioral Issues

Communication issues and other behavioral problems are also frequent in nursing homes, with almost half of residents having trouble being understood as well as comprehending others.

Such challenges can also make it harder for family members to support such patients at home.

Age

Nursing facilities, for example, are home to nearly 15% of individuals aged 85 and above, compared to just 1.1 percent of people aged 65 above.

Race/Ethnicity

Caucasians are more likely to be admitted to a nursing home than other races.

Poor Family Support

Older adults without a spouse or children are also more likely to be at a nursing home. Such people often cannot rely on informal family caregiving in the way that seniors with large families often can.

Geriatric Syndromes

Syndromes such as frailty, frequent falls, pressure sores, dementia, and related challenges also raise the likelihood of admission to a nursing home.

Pros and Cons of a Nursing Home

Pros:

Trained Staff

Nursing facilities are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by medical experts. This implies that if your loved one requires medical assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they will always receive it. Nursing home personnel perform both medical and non-medical duties which they are highly proficient at.

Adult children and other family members couldn’t hope to provide the same support in a home environment.

Structured Schedule

Because staying on a schedule becomes increasingly vital as we age, one of the primary advantages of living in a nursing home is the controlled, planned lifestyle.

Meals are only served at specific hours, social events are arranged at specific times, and scheduling assistance is always available. This can be beneficial to your elderly relative’s health and well-being.

Active Social Life

There are always social events on the calendar at a nursing home, encouraging all residents to participate and socialize. This allows elders to socialize with others their own age, maintain a more active lifestyle, and become more involved in the community.

Full-Time Care

Your loved ones will receive round-the-clock, full-time care from competent healthcare workers and brilliant doctors if they live in a nursing home. If something goes wrong in the middle of the night, there are usually nurses on staff who can rush in and assist right away.

Cons:

Expensive

Nursing homes are expensive because they provide housing and medical professionals to help elders. Nursing home fees might be too high for a senior and their family. And the prices are only set to grow in the future. There are, however, more cost-effective senior care choices, such as home care.

High Staff Turnover

Nursing homes can serve as a stepping stone for people who want to pursue a career in medicine. As a result, many nursing facilities have a high rate of turnover. Seniors are unable to form relationships with those who care for them because of this element of their profession. Some elders may get perplexed as a result of this.

Abuse

These are the accounts of nursing home neglect, abuse, and other forms of mistreatment of the individuals we care for.

Because there are some nursing homes with a terrible reputation, seek references from friends and community members when you’re hunting for a nursing home for your family member.

Lack of Freedom

It can be tough to persuade a senior adult to move into a nursing home after living a full and independent life. They may lose much of the sense of independence to which they’ve become used their entire lives. While sticking to a routine might help your parents’ general health, they may miss being able to do what they want when they want.

Conclusion

There are, fortunately, alternative senior care possibilities for your loved one. Home care is a fantastic alternative to a nursing home or assisted living facility. Caregivers may provide round-the-clock care to keep elders healthy, happy, and at home.

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