Old People and Senior Care Homes - Essay Example

Firstname Lastname Instructor’s Name Course Number 11 June 2018 Old People and Senior Care Homes. In today’s fast paced and busy world, where people hardly have time for each other, the elderly face a great danger of being ignored and neglected. In response to this, many senior citizen homes and retirement homes have sprouted all over the United States. A senior citizen or retirement home is an institution where old people can reside in after they retire. Most sons and daughters unable to take care of their parents bring their parents here. Old people with no immediate relatives who can take care of them are also brought here. It is indeed ironic that most sons and daughters, for whatever reasons, do not want to or are unable to take care of the people who brought them so selflessly. It seems that, as humanity takes giant leaps into the future and advances to a great extent, we also seem to be losing out on our basic morals and value systems. Abandoning the old, especially parents, to the care of a third person in a senior citizens institution is definitely not a part of the human value system. But nevertheless this is the situation today. Most youngsters do not have time for the elders in the family, the result of which has been the setting up of senior citizens’ homes across the country. On the upside, apart from the value systems, these homes also have their own advantages. Many of them have good medical facilities and in-house medical professionals like doctors, physical therapists, nutritional experts, psychologists etc. These homes also have activities for old people and provide professional assistance to elders at all times of the day and night. These facilities may otherwise not be available to this extent in their own homes or in the homes of their children or relatives. Today’s senior citizen homes have increased their facilities and contrary to general opinion may prove to be a very positive experience for the elderly. Despite the varied facilities and convenience these homes provide, we are still not entirely sure if these elders are happy in these senior citizen homes. One of the major reasons why elders are unhappy in senior citizen homes is because when they are left in the care of these homes they begin to feel that they are unwanted by the family. It gives them the impression that they have now become a burden to the family and hence are cast aside in a home for the aged. Living in a retirement home, as opposed to living in their own home or their children’s homes and being a part of the family, increases this feeling even more. Wm. J. Diehm (2000) says in his article, that when he first started visiting old age homes, he said to his son, “Son, before you put me in one of these homes, shoot me”. This feeling of being unwanted increases depression, which almost always manifests itself in elders during old age. Depression may be due to bodily changes and physical limitations as they age. This depression can lead to further complications and affect the health of these elders. Despite the availability of anti-depressants to cure depression, the medicine that always works is to have companions, mostly family members, to talk to regularly and make them feel wanted. Caring for them and listening to them is the best medicine for depression. Since this kind of caring and companionship of family members is not available in senior citizen homes, these elders tend to be very unhappy in these homes. The second major reason for their unhappiness is their loneliness. Living in a senior citizen home, far away from their family can make them extremely lonely. This can happen especially when they are used to living in a family with people who take care of them and then are suddenly uprooted and brought to a senior care facility. This sort of uprooting from one’s home and bringing to a different, newer environment can be a very great leap to make for elders especially at their age. Many elders are never able to adjust to a new environment with new faces and they continue to be depressed throughout their stay in the home. Wm. J. Diehm (2000) heard an elder say, “Nurse, I'm lonely”, over and over again, during one of his visits to the home for the aged. The elders who are unable to adjust to new environments and new people remain antisocial and disheartened at all times. This loneliness can also make these elders rebellious and they may refuse to cooperate with the assistants in terms of taking medication or food. This in turn will cause more health related complications for these elders. Sometimes this sort of loneliness can also drive the elder to take extreme measures, which can be very harmful. The third reason for their unhappiness in these homes is the availability of commercial care as opposed to family care, which they require the most at their age. Most of these institutions employ professional nurses or assistants who are medically trained to personally assist these elders. This sort of commercial assistance will not have the personal touch that a son or daughter or any blood relative will be able to provide. The fact that they get commercial assistance from a stranger as opposed to personal care from family members can have a large effect on the psychological side of the elders. Most times elders need a reasonable amount of coaxing from their family members in order for them to take their food or medication. This sort of patient treatment may not be available in commercial care. The commercial care assistant will simply do the duties assigned to him and leave. These assistants do not have the time to offer any sort of personalized touch or extra care and attention in their service. Moreover the family members always have extra knowledge about the elders and are most times extra receptive to their specific needs and wants. Commercial help will not be able to gauge the needs and wants and other requirements, as well as the family members, who are closer to the elders. Loneliness, a feeling of being unwanted, moving to a new environment with new people at that age and assistance in the form of commercial care from strangers can be major causes for unhappiness among elders in senior care homes. This unhappiness can lead to depression and further health complications if not spotted and remedied early. Contrary to the above disadvantages leading to the unhappiness of elders in senior care homes, there are also many advantages that contribute to a happy and comfortable old age, in these homes. One of the basic advantages of senior homes is that elders will be closely monitored, which may not be possible at home especially if the relatives are working and have a busy schedule. Their health is of utmost importance and hence will be closely monitored by a group of experts and professionals. Senior care institutions today have upped their facilities with in house medical professionals like doctors, general physicians, specialist visits, psychologists, physical therapists etc., who will be in constant touch with the elders and provide the necessary medical assistance at the required times. Nurses and other commercial care assistants appointed by the institution ensure that each of these elders in the facility take their proper food and proper medication at the appointed time. They also make sure they get the right amount of rest and sleep as advised by doctors and specialists. The elders are taken in for regular check ups and tests in order to make sure that they are healthy. Regular treatment is also provided for elders with ailments. The second positive aspect about a senior care home is the availability of diets specific to each individual. At home it is practically very difficult for working sons or daughters or any other relatives to prepare meals that are suitable to their elders. It is extremely tough to prepare multiple varieties of food to suit different generations at the same time. Elders, due to their age complexities need a diet suitable to their metabolism and bodily needs. Certain foods will not be acceptable to their body type as it might complicate their ailments. This problem of catering to their specific dietary needs is easily overcome in aged citizens homes. Since the institution houses professionals like doctors, nutritional experts and other specialists, the diet of every elder in the institution is supervised and foods that are most compatible with their body metabolism and other ailments are prepared and given. Furthermore the institution also allows the relative of the elder to specify a certain specific diet or special food for the elder which the institution will make available. Since the institution houses other elders as well, one can be sure that the food that they prepare will almost always be appropriate to that age and other specifications that come with age. The third reason that contributes to a happy and comfortable old age in a senior citizen home is the fact that the elderly are given a chance to meet, get acquainted and interact with new people of their own age. Senior citizen homes give large room for socialization. This opportunity for the elderly to meet and interact with people of their own age group and mindset gives them a new purpose and a sense of a new life. This opportunity may not be open to them in their own family homes, as they may have to stay home alone when the family is out working. The chance that they get for socialization in these homes, gives them a new energy and a renewed sense of well-being, which may be very hard to come by for people of this age. This rekindled energy helps rejuvenate their health thereby leaving them in good physical shape. This sort of socialization also helps these elders to develop new friendships and relationships. Evelyn Simon, at 77 years of age has moved into new quarters for the aged in a new town closer to her son. After calling Houston her home for about sixty-three years, she is quite happy to move in and is busy making new friends in her new quarters. “It's a completely new life for me”, quips a very happy Evelyn. Evelyn Simon belongs to a new migration of seniors who have to move in closer to their children, leaving their original homes, due to medical problems (Della Cava, M.R, 2007). Apart from socialization senior citizen homes also offer numerous activities to keep the elders busy and occupied. Most of these activities are ones that these elders love to do or used to do when they were young. Playing cards, chess, checkers etc are the most common activities that are offered in these homes. Additionally these homes also have a television lounge where the elders can watch TV and a large collection of books that they can read at their own leisure. Furthermore many senior homes organize events, games and other activities to provide variety to the seniors and to keep them entertained throughout their stay. Senior care homes have both advantages and disadvantages. It can work out as a disadvantage because of the fact that elders have to stay away from family, which could cause depression and complicate ailments. It can cause them to be lonely and morose as they have strangers looking after them as opposed to family. Contrarily it also can create a very positive, life giving experience to the elders. Constant attention, which is a basic need in old age, timely medication and diets specific to their body type and age, will have a very good effect on their health. Socialization adds to their well-being and formation of new relationships can rejuvenate them and give them a new sense of purpose at that age. Various activities provided keeps them occupied, which is far better than having them sit alone in family homes. Since senior care homes have both negatives and positives, it is always wise to judge if it will suit the elder, both physically as well as psychologically, before moving them there. References Aging Assistive Products. Elder Care - The Pros and Cons of Senior Care Facilities or Nursing Homes. Viewed on 26 February 2009. http://agingassistiveproducts.com/elder-care-the-pros-and-cons-of-senior-care-facilities-or-nursing-homes/ Berg, Susan. Consider the Positives of Nursing Homes. USA Today. Viewed on 26 February 2009. http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/07/post-8.html Della Cava, M.R (2007). New Home in Old Age – Seniors Compelled to Move. USA Today. Viewed on 26 February 2009. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-04-11-seniors-starting-over_N.htm Diehm ,Wm. J. (2000). Dealing With Loneliness. Seniorsite.com. Viewed on 26 February 2009. http://seniors-site.com/widowm/lonely.html Read More