Guilt-Free Nursing Home Solutions For The Whole Family

This post is contributed.



 Putting a loved one in a nursing home is never easy. Whether it’s a parent or spouse, the decision will be one of the most difficult you’ve ever faced. It’s also liable to come with a fair amount of guilt. Even if you’re sure that this is the right move, you may feel like you should follow alternative routes. You may feel, for example, that you should take your loved one in. You may even attempt to do so before conceding defeat. At some stage, though, the chances are that defeat will come knocking.

If the idea of a nursing home racks you with guilt, though, this can be a painful reality to accept. Many of us beat ourselves up no end about going down a route like this. We may spend the remaining years of our loved one’s lives feeling terrible. But, it doesn’t need to be that way. While some level of guilt is inevitable, you can at least ease the feeling a little by taking the following steps.

Holding out for the right home

Often, families feel they have no choice but to jump at the first home which becomes available. It may be that they opt for the one closest to them or the one which is cheapest. Sadly, these families are often the ones who find their loved ones on the wrong end of elder abuse by nursing home staff. That’s because they jump into a crucial decision, and it can pile even more guilt on their shoulders. Don’t let it. Instead, keep your loved one with you until you can find a nursing home which everyone’s happy with. Hold out for personal recommendations, or just a home which feels right when you view it. It may take a year or so to settle this way, but it’s time well worth taking.

Catering to a loved one’s abilities

Many of us picture nursing homes as institutional-type spaces without free-will. In extreme cases, that is sadly the way things can go. But, that doesn’t always need to be the case. If your loved one is still self-sufficient, there are plenty of nursing homes which offer independent living. This would help your loved one retain a level of self-care with the reassurance of help nearby. Going into a home needn’t mean relying on members of staff for every little thing. You just need to make sure you find accommodation which caters for your loved one’s abilities as they stand.



Arranging a regular visiting schedule

Leaving your loved one alone in a home can be another significant source of guilt. But, you can even eliminate that by making sure at least one person visits them each day. Nursing homes are usually generous with their visiting hours. Take advantage of that. Get together with siblings or friends to arrange a schedule which ensures your loved one is never without company. Knowing that they see familiar faces on a regular basis could be enough to get you sleeping at night.

Thanks for visiting the blog today. Have a wonderful day. 


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