Oftentimes, we view nursing homes and care facilities in a negative light. This perception isn’t wholly accurate, but it is justified. Even though senior care facilities do really good work, they are often unprepared for certain scenarios. We have seen this in the past in Florida when hurricanes knocked out electricity to nursing homes and people lost their lives as a result. And we have seen this again, more recently, in the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no secret that senior care facilities were vastly unprepared for the pandemic. As of mid-January, 36 percent of COVID related deaths in the U.S. took place in a nursing home.
Again, although this is true, it’s not completely accurate in the tack that this line of thinking takes. Governments, schools, and more were also unprepared for a pandemic of the magnitude that was experienced. And while it is accurate to say that this was a catastrophe that should never have happened, it doesn’t serve much or a purpose to dwell on what went wrong unless corrective actions are taken. By understanding what went wrong and then making changes, we can ensure that people receiving senior care in the future have better and safer care.
This takes all of us, not just those that work in the senior care industry. If you have a loved one that is older, your opinion is important. Take note of what has worked for your family over the last few months. Take note of what hasn’t worked. Share these things with your local politicians and those that you know that do work in the care industry. Those that claim to know everything about this topic are misleading–everyone has something to improve on in this field. What’s important is that you find what works for you and the people you love–and then improve on it.
The nursing home isn’t going to disappear. It’s a very important component of the senior care system. However, it is only one part of this wider system, and currently, it is being overused. It was overused well before COVID-19 hit us, but the pandemic exposed the shortcomings of this system and its inability to help people to the degree that was once expected.
Nursing homes aren’t going away, but hopefully they will change. The people that rely so heavily on them will begin to explore other avenues of care that can better suit the needs of their loved ones. Things like in-home care can do a lot to take the strain off of the nursing home system and help seniors get better, more personalized care in many cases. This isn’t necessarily right for everyone, but a lot of people go to a nursing home without it being the best setting for them. Hopefully, care given at home–both medical and non-medical–can help seniors find a higher quality of life.
If you’re unsure what the best care for a loved one might be, we can help. This is what our free consultation service is designed to help you with. Give us a call to get started!
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