The Standards of Care in Nursing Homes, Geriatrics - Coursework Example

A nursing home is a long standing care accredited by the that offers healthcare services for twenty four hours as well as experienced and essential rehabilitation and nursing care and a full range of other programs, treatments and other therapies. The people who dwell in the nursing homes are known as residents. Nursing homes provide a gainful way to enable patients with post operative needs, acute illnesses and injuries care needs to recuperate in a setting outside a hospital. In exchange for Medicare and medi- cal payments nursing homes that are certified agree to give each resident the best possible care. Particularly they are required to help each resident attain or uphold the highest possible mental, psychosocial and physical well being. Care and treatment provided must improve o r maintain health subject to resident’s right to select and decline services. The standards of care in nursing homes are government prospect however quality is not assured. Geriatrics has various needs that aids in its day to day operations. First of all accommodation need. A resident has the right to obtain services and reside with reasonable accommodation of personal desires and needs. The institutions should acclimatize things like room arrangements, schedules, call systems and staff assignments to contain residents’ exclusive needs, desires and preferences. If there is existence of communication barrier between the staff and residents, the nursing g home is required to ensure adequate communication through use of interpreters or other measures that will facilitate communication. Secondly adequate nursing and other employees are required in the nursing homes to meet the needs of each resident in the geriatric at all times. The nursing homes are also required to establish an all-inclusive and individualized care plan for each resident that states care needs and how they will be met. This ensures proper and up to standards services are adhered to by the staff employed, considering the number and personal attention each resident requires or is entitled to. One of the most widespread reasons why people seek nursing home care is due to urinary incontinence and uncontrollable bladder. Incontinence and lack of toileting aid results too many serious problems for example isolation, pressure sores and psychological harm. Each resident bowel control complications must be thoroughly assessed and given care and treatments that can improve the condition. Many geriatric occupants are not incontinent but require assistance with toileting. This is because a resident with restricted mobility may need a helping hand to go to the toilet. Also residents with dementia may need reminders to regularly use the toilet. Each resident in the nursing home must be provided with a well balanced diet that meets day by day nutritional and special dietary requirements. The inhabitants must also be well hydrated by being provided with fluids and other beverages that will nourish them. Personal care plan should be established if the resident’s capability to eat food orally is compromised. Therapeutic programs can be used to help improve a resident’s ability to swallow or help maintain a fixed eating schedule for a bewildered patient. The residents are also supposed to be availed to the best and quality medicals services to better their health, stabilize their conditions and maintain them appropriately. The staff are required to help the residents take their doses accordingly especially those in critical conditions. The resident has the right to know and understand the medication being administered. Neglect and abuse is an important issue to be looked at when discussing nursing homes. Residents are rather vulnerable due to age, finances and illness. Nursing home staffs have been reported to have disregarded, mistreated and taken advantage of residents. Residents fear that if they report the abuse and neglect their care will detrimentally be affected. This makes it significantly important to monitor nursing homes. On the other hand there have been cases where residents have both physically and vocally abused geriatric staff. This might be due to anguish, confusion and depression. Individual care plans is very vital in nursing homes, it plays on the health care budget plan. The healthcare plan is an important tool to be used because it is affordable and gives you the opportunity to experience the quality healthcare you would desire. Covering the geriatric costs alone may at times prove to be weighty. In a situation whereby the individual has no care plan the end resort may be to be out of the nursing home since the bill may rise too high for the individual. The care plans offers individuals with wide range of opportunities to choose from depending on how much you are willing to put off. This may be limited to individuals with no care plan since you are fixed to the cash you have. A nursing home should be a safe haven for the elderly, a place where they can consider a second home. Considering the high skill level the staff holds the geriatric should catalyze the recuperation process of ill individuals or maintain them to the best possible level. The geriatric staff should understand better the resident’s shortcomings and how to handle or cater to them. The residents are entitled to question and are explained to full satisfaction every process they undergo, be it therapeutic or medical procedure they will undergo. Read More