There is not much that can terrify an older person more so than the words “nursing home”. The fear of losing your independence was highest ranked among a recent survey as aging adults fear losing their independence most of all. In addition to seniors’ top 10 fears is the lack of ability to continue living independently at home. There is a fear of seniors being forced to have strangers care for them when they can no longer efficiently take care of themselves.
Sadly, all of these concerns and fears accumulate and become a very troubling reality when seniors are forced into a nursing home to live out the remainder of their lives. The truth is, there are approximately 3.3 million Americans that were placed in nursing homes during 2013. This number will increasingly continue to rise as the coming years show more and more baby boomers that are hitting their “golden years”.
The bigger question is how do you deal with the situation when your parent pleads with you to never put them in a nursing home? Most of us don’t know the first thing about nursing homes let alone how to care for an aging parent when they can no longer care for themselves. The sense of duty and diligence for your parent’s sake can lead you on a quest for detailed answers to what seems to be a very troubling dilemma that has no easy answers. Some of the answers found were so powerful that it was pertinent to share the information and help others who are going through some of the same issues and challenges.
Extensive research has been done on how to successfully keep your parents from Nursing Homes. What has been found is that seniors worry about losing the freedoms they enjoyed as an adult. Also a known fact is that seniors are aware of the theft and mistreatment that occurs in Nursing Homes. There are key factors in a senior’s life that will in essence rob you of your independence. These 3 main risk factors that jeopardize the ability to live independently are:
- Loss of physical mobility to live independently.
- Brain and cognitive Issues
- Declining Health – which includes increase of chronic disease
By concentrating on providing aid to work around these three issues with diet, exercise, proper medical care and assistance so that you are able to work with these issues from their home, you can provide a good solid basis that will provide the proper care without having to put your loved one in a Nursing Home. There are many resources as well as assistance that is available to seniors who want to keep their independence and live at home. Here at Amy B. Van Fossen we can help you obtain access to these resources. These resources will provide you with more avenues that will allow you to provide better care for a loved one who does not want to live in a Nursing Home.
