Community Living for Hospice Patients: Don ' t " Put " People in Nursing Homes

by Lizzy Miles (@LizzyMiles_MSW)No one should ever be “put” in a nursing home. You might agree with this statement because you don’t like nursing homes, but that is not what I’m saying. The word “put” is offensive when you are describing a person, unless you are talking about putting a 3 year old in the time out corner because he colored on the walls.I would like to make the argument that no adult wants to be ‘put’ anywhere. You put dishes away, you do not put people away. When we are facing a situation in which the care needs exceed the family member’s ability, there are times where the best option is for the elder tomove to a safer environment.Let ’s look at these two scenarios:Daughter puts mom in a facility because mom is too much of a burden for daughter to take care of at home.OrMom moved to a new community in which there were nurses who could take care of her health care needs. There are chefs who make her meals and caretakers who help her with her activities of daily living. She has opportunities to make new friends, play bingo, listen to music, and arrange flowers. Daughter ’s time with mom can be spent sharing memories, watching movies and working on jigsaw puzzles together.Same scenario. Which one feels better to you?We do not want to say to our loved one, “You are too much for me.”What we want to say is, “I want you to have the best care possible and I believe this choice will be better for both of us. I love you and I will continue to ...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - Category: Palliative Care Tags: caregiver caregiving communication geriatrics miles nursing home reframing social work social worker Source Type: blogs