Home is All About Heart, Especially for the Elderly

Photo credit Alex Pavloff ...Most of us who've cared for people with dementia have heard the sad, repetitive lament, "I want to go home." If the person lives in a nursing home or assisted living facility, relatives naturally think that the home the elder wants to return to is the last place he or she lived before going to the care home. More likely, at least in the case of Alzheimer's disease, the home this elder misses is a childhood home. It's the home where he or she felt the comfort of a mother's arms; the safety of a father's protection. Again, this home is a state of mind rather than a building. Even if we could take our loved one to the actual house of their childhood, it's not likely that this structure would bring comfort. A sense of comfort comes from being with other human beings who love us and will do what they can to care for us.  A comforting experiment: Loving, hands-on care, positive feedback, and flexibility often help people with dementia feel less anxious and more cared for, and thus, makes them feel more at home. I recently read of an experiment at the Parker Jewish Institute in New Hyde Park, N.Y. It began when a certified nursing assistant found that she was able to calm a person with Alzheimer's who wandered nightly simply by inviting him to sit down Continue reading on Agingcare for suggestions about how you can help your older adult feel more "at home" whether they are at home or in a care facility.  Minding Our Elders: Careg...
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs