Care in Nursing Homes & Pioneering Culture Change

Care in Nursing Homes

Grandparents, parents, spouse, siblings – for almost everyone these are the people who mean the most to us in our lives. When one of these beloved individuals suffers illness or disability to the extent they can no longer be cared for at home and must enter a nursing home facility, many families become aware of one very pressing issue – are there enough qualified staff to provide the care that their loved one needs?

The answer to that question may be a simple “yes” or “no” or even a “sometimes,” but the reasons why staffing is a persistent problem in many nursing homes are far from simple. Nursing homes, like the rest of society, are affected by a complex number of social, medical and financial factors. These include more people are living longer and may become in need of long term care, many people are arriving at nursing homes more frail than in the past, low payments to nursing homes which often results in low paying jobs there.

The question for family members who have loved ones in nursing homes is “What do I do to make sure my loved one receives the care he or she needs?” Here are some of the actions that family members can take: visit regularly, interact with staff, speak to the right staff person about problems you see, be alert to problems of care, and be aware that there are requirements that nursing homes be adequately staffed.

The facility where your loved one is may be staffed with wonderful and caring people – but if they are run ragged because they are short staffed, your relative still may not get needed care, especially if he or she is acutely ill or entirely dependent on others. Your loved one, and all nursing home residents, have the right to good care. Discuss problems you see with staff.

Pioneering Culture Change in Nursing Homes

Our family are the people who mean the most to us. When a family member suffers illness or disability to the extent they can no longer be cared for at home, many families turn to nursing homes or other long-term facility.

Traditionally, nursing homes have provided a place for people who needed around the clock care. Labeled as institutions in the early years, the changing times have led many facilities to change their idea of what a nursing home should look like. Lately, nursing homes have been introduced to something more desirable to residents, Pioneering Culture Change in nursing homes.

Driven by the desire of nursing home residents, their advocates, and people working in nursing homes, the focus of Pioneering Culture Change is growing. Many nursing homes are changing the way they deliver services in their facilities, such as buffet tables or restaurant style dinning, ice cream parlors, snacks in the evening, special outings for the residents and many more.

The most important change in pioneering is to understand individual residents, and determine what they want and desire from their new "home". Also, the surroundings and culture in the nursing home can be changed to make it more home-like, such as adding flowers and planters, gardens, resident clubs and committees, building upon the wellness and strengths of each resident, and by encouraging family members to bring in children and pets to visit and interact with the residents.

There is a need to re-examine the assumptions about nursing homes, and facilitate a new kind of front line care, and to introduce front line staff to resident-centered care plans. The main premise of the pioneering movement is to treat residents as individuals, giving care based on the resident’s need, utilizing resident centered care plans, and providing an opportunity for residents’ to participate in everyday activities.