Five Tips on Socializing in a New Nursing Home

 

One of the greatest challenges of the elderly living in their own home or in a residence is to socialize with friends, family or meet new people. Isolation is a very common problem at this stage of life and socializing in a residence can be a challenge that worries those who are moving.

Moreover, it is not a minor issue. A study from Stanford University concluded that lifestyle and social attitude have a greater influence on the quality of life of the elderly than what genes could determine.

One of the reasons an older adult chooses to live in a nursing home is for the opportunity to socialize with peers and engage in group activities. These programs are designed to meet personal emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, or vocational needs.

However, when moving to a new residence, you are often burdened with emotional baggage (shyness, lack of confidence, low self-esteem, lack of social experience, etc.) that can seem like an obstacle to socializing.

As in the first day of school, the "new" feels like a stranger, or that he or she is being observed and judged, which can be scary. Therefore, in addition to remembering how we have overcame those situations in the past, it does not hurt to take into account these tips collected from the David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home Residents.

How to Discuss Assisted Living with an Aging Parent

 

It can be difficult for seniors to ask and accept help with basic tasks that they previously had no trouble doing on their own. Many do not even realize that they need help, because of either denial, cognitive decline, or the gradual nature of aging. For these reasons, the responsibility for talking about assisted living often falls on their children. If you find yourself in this situation, it is important that you approach the discussion with compassion and tact.

Raising the subject is often as difficult as it is important, and represents a major life transition that can unleash difficult emotions. When having this talk, it is important to be compassionate and prepared so that you and your parents can both be comfortable with the decision. To help you avoid any frustrating misunderstandings -- particularly when it comes to seniors and senior care, David Berkowitz from the Chicago Nursing Home Aperion Care, shares some of his thoughts, which may help.

Make future plans a topic of ongoing discussion

Start talking early. It could take some time and several conversations to convince your parents to consider getting help, so you don't want to wait for a disaster to strike before you bring it up. It will also give you more time to adjust to your loved one's idea to start conversations about assisted living before it is necessary.

Address the subject during a private moment

 Your parents may initially react with feelings of shame, which is more likely to create a conversation that turns defensive and dismissive. Bring up the topic of assisted living during a private, informal time between you, your parents, and perhaps one or two other close relatives.

Present housing options with positive language and tone

 If your parents are afraid of assisted living because of a fear of losing their freedom and independence, explain that there are assisted living options for all levels of care, including many that will allow you to retain a good deal of their privacy. Assure them that you will help them find a program or arrangement that is right for them.

For example, at the David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home, there are various levels of support with the activities of daily living, each type of assistance determined after an assessment with a wellness coordinator, working in agreement with the senior and extended family.

Include them in the decision making process

Ask your parents how they feel about the problems and listen to their concerns. They will be more receptive to your suggestions if you find that they understand and sympathize with your feelings on the subject. You can also ask questions that could help them come to the right conclusion on their own.

Be compassionate and respectful

 Try to understand how difficult this decision and transition can be for your parents. Make sure you talk to them as you would any other adult. Don't be forceful or condescending.

Do your research and find a suitable facility

Finding the right facility that can meet their current and future health care needs, will ensure the elder’s life doesn’t have to be disrupted multiple times as their condition changes. If you need help find a suitable place, contact nursing home owner David Berkowitz to assist you with the assessment of the needs, arranging the tours and the evaluation of your parent needs.

What to do when older people refuse care?

 

The reluctance of some older people to be cared for is a fairly common situation. Coping with the changes that occur with age is a slow process that involves major transformations in the older adult's life and requires patience and understanding. That initial refusal to receive help, either from the family or from a professional caregiver, does not have to be a final decision if you know how to redirect the situation. Bellow, David Berkowitz from the Chicago-based Nursing Home Aperion Care, will tell you how to approach the care of the elderly.

 

Analyze the reasons: why don’t they accept help?

Although aging does not have to be synonymous with the loss of autonomy, the passage of time always takes its toll. As the years go by, our elders find themselves with some limitations that, however small, were not part of their day to day before. Assuming these changes are not always easy, is all the more reason why having professional support offers great advantages.

However, it is common for older people to refuse to be cared for. It is a situation that is repeated more frequently, especially in those early stages of aging, when family members begin to consider the advisability of using a home caregiver or a nursing home to guarantee the assistance they need.

Bringing a stranger into the home raises many doubts, especially among elderly people who have spent their entire lives enjoying their independence and privacy. However, it is not just a question of trust. Resorting to home care is, for many older adults, assuming their inability to continue leading the life they led.

In these new circumstances, there is also a certain fear of rejection. "What if by becoming a burden I am going to lose the respect and affection of my family?" Although this possibility is not contemplated from the perspective of the relatives, the thoughts of the elderly person sometimes take the form of these concerns that do not come to be expressed openly and that end up causing great stress, explains nursing home owner David Berkowitz.

Before making any decision regarding the care of the elderly, it is important to analyze all these factors, comment on them and convince them that it is not a question of limiting their capacities but of promoting and empowering them in a safe environment. Letting yourself be cared for is the guarantee of a happy old age with quality of life.

 

Tips for Dealing with Older People Who Refuse Help

If the first step to make our family member change their attitude is to understand her motives and fears, the next step is to take an active position in the search for a change in attitude. What can we do when an older person refuses care?

Solve the situation naturally. You should not turn your family member's refusal into an added problem. According to David Berkowitz from Aperion, it is always better to approach these circumstances from a positive mindset and from the perspective of a change that is as natural as it is necessary. This is not the time to be overprotective or to impose solutions. It begins by raising the great advantages of having the help of a professional in carrying out small day-to-day tasks, in the time that it would save and in the activities in which it could invest it.

Go little by little. It is difficult for anyone to open the doors of their home to a stranger. Our house is our refuge, an intimate and personal space in which we feel comfortable. The introduction of the figure of the caregiver in the life of the elderly has to be a progressive process. In this regard, at Berkowitz Nursing Home we recommend that, if your family member is reluctant to receive assistance, you convince him to try our home care services by the hour. This contact with the caregiver and this mutual knowledge will make him feel comfortable in a very short time, without his presence being uncomfortable at home, but quite the opposite. Good company never hurts.

Mental Health in Older Adults

 

People aged 60 years and older make valuable contributions to society as active family members, volunteers, and active participants in the workforce. Although most older people are in good mental health, many are at risk for mental disorders, neurological diseases, or substance use problems, as well as other conditions, such as diabetes, hearing loss, or osteoarthritis. On the other hand, as we age, the chances that we will suffer from several conditions at the same time increase.

The proportion of older people is increasing rapidly around the world. It is estimated that between 2015 and 2050 this proportion will almost double, from 12 to 22%. In absolute numbers, the expected increase is from 900 million to 2 billion people over 60 years of age. Older adults can suffer from physical and mental problems that must be recognized. David Berkowitz, a Chicago-based nursing home owner, is focused on helping to enhance seniors’ quality of life by providing first-class elder care facilities. Taking into account that the aging of the US population is very fast, promoting good mental health in older people  is becoming one of the greatest social concerns in all of David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home facilities.

Many older adults are at risk for mental health problems. However, this does not mean that mental health problems are a normal part of aging.  It's important to recognize and treat mental disorders in older adults. These disorders don't just cause mental suffering. They can also make it harder for you to manage other health problems.

Most of our elders enjoy a healthy mental state and well-being, which translates into a higher quality of life, a more satisfying life and the ability to carry out a contribution to society. However, there are groups of older people in which there is a high prevalence of neuropsychiatric conditions, including dementia, which involve health and welfare costs. As the number of the older population continues to grow, the problems related with mental disorders are also increasing, which is why David Berkowitz from Aperion believes that this demographic change will have additional implications for public and social health systems, labor markets and the overall economy of the country.

According to David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home, it is important that healthcare providers and society as a whole pay attention to the special needs of older population groups through the following measures:

·         training of health professionals in the care of the elderly;

·         prevention and care of chronic diseases that accompany old age, such as mental, neural and substance abuse problems;

·         development of sustainable policies on long-term care and palliative care;

·         creation of services and environments that favor the elderly.

The mental health of older adults can be improved by promoting active and healthy habits. This means creating living conditions and environments that enhance well-being and encourage people to adopt healthy and integrated lifestyles. The promotion of mental health depends to a large extent on strategies that lead to the elderly having the necessary resources to satisfy their basic needs, sums up David Berkowitz, President of Aperion Care.

Advantages of living in a nursing home

 Nowadays it is common to use nursing homes as an option when it comes to caring for our elders. In the last ten years, the number of elderly people living in residences has almost tripled, from some 96,000 people in 2001 to more than 270,000 in 2011, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics.

However, it seems that the use of nursing homes for the care of the elderly is something that is stigmatized. It is still difficult to make people understand that not having time to take care of them is normal, and that sending them to a residence or a day center is not getting rid of them or disengaging ourselves, but rather providing much better care than we could give them at home.

Offering more than 30 post-hospital rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing care homes in Illinois and Indiana, Aperion Care founded by David Berkowitz Chicago is one of the largest operators that provides post-hospital rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing care. Dedication to quality, personalized care for every guest is the number one priority. David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home offers services including physical, occupational and speech therapy and skilled nursing care.

Family Visits to Nursing Home Residents

This week we talked with David Berkowitz from Aperion Care about nursing home residents during COVID-19. The first topic we dealt with was the “prevention paradox” as Mr. Berkowitz explained. An example of this paradox was what sometimes a person who doesn't take care of himself lives longer and better than someone who has good lifestyle habits. However, as he emphasized, those who take care of themselves will always have a more quality life, although there are always isolated cases with the other way around.

Then we talked with David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home a little about how the elderly people who live in residences have experienced the pandemic and how distressed they were by all the news that came to them from the state of the country. For this reason, in many residences they chose not to put the news on television anymore. We also exposed the fact of everyday life that older people do so well and as for their good, many of their daily habits had to be altered. Let's not forget that we added the fact of not being able to receive visits.

Hot Weather Safety for Older Adults

With the arrival of summer, high temperatures and suffocating humidity are already a constant in our day-to-day lives. This long-awaited time of year is synonymous with vacations, the beach and other activities that help us break the monotony, but it is also synonymous with heat strokes and much danger for the elderly.

We must not forget that these extreme weather conditions can be harmful for older people. Therefore, knowing some tips and indications to deal with more than possible heat waves is very necessary. Bellow, David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home owner, shares some valuable tips on how older adults can deal easier with the heat.

 

Why are older people vulnerable to heat?

As David Berkowitz, President of Aperion Care explains, one of the main causes that answers this question is that from the age of 65, people tend to lose the sensation of heat and thirst. So hydration and prevention are neglected, and you are more likely to suffer from heat stroke, for not taking the proper precautions.

In addition, on many occasions, the symptoms of these heat strokes go unnoticed within the pathologies associated with age and own physical deterioration (tiredness, fatigue, weakness, etc.), so it is overlooked and its effects become very dangerous.

In summer, it is very important to pay attention to older people to avoid the harmful effects of heat.

Tips to prevent heat stroke in older people

It is very important, to avoid unnecessary scares, to follow some recommendations that will help to avoid the heat strokes so present in summer.

Constantly hydrate

The most important rule to follow, according to David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home is always drink plenty of water. Even if you are not thirsty, you have to drink liquids (water, soft drinks, juices, etc.) regularly to get your body temperature regulated.

Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun

Especially in older adults, it is very important not to be in the sun for a long time. The hottest and most humid hours of the day should be avoided at all cost.

Do not eat large meals

It is important not to have very heavy digestions, since they increase the body temperature. David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home recommends eating salads, vegetables, fruits, and other light meals that must be very frequent in summer.

Wear light and fresh clothes

Make sure you wear comfortable clothing that allows good breathability and that the heat does not remain impregnated in the body.

Stay in well-ventilated and cool rooms

Have the blinds down, or the curtains, to prevent the sun from increasing the temperature of the place.

Shower regularly

It is the best way to cool off quickly and regulate our body temperature.

Accompaniment, the greatest confidence

In summer, especially, it is very important to pay attention to older people to avoid the effects of heat that are so dangerous to their health. Paying attention to the elderly, so that they comply with the advice outlined above, by David Berkowitz Chicago Nursing Home, is as important as or more important than following the instructions.

For this reason, if you or a family member cannot be with your loved one, it is convenient to make sure that, despite this, your elder will always be with the best care to prevent blows and the effects of heat. A caregiver, with experience and references in dealing with older people, may be the most suitable solution so that summer is a time without any complications.