Planning on a visit to the Nursing Home this EASTER or PASSOVER? Taking your grandparent out on Mother’s Day in May or Father’s Day in June? This is a great opportunity to pay attention to their progress / health concerns or needs. How are they feeling? Getting better, or worse? What do you notice? Its is vital to be attentive, and then, more important to communicate these observations to the staff. Think they failed to write it down – write it down for them – fax a letter to the doctor and the nursing home with your observations. We had a case where a family member noticed swelling and pain in their loved ones’ foot on Christmas – told the staff, but there is NO record of the call, or the symptoms.
Its also important to realize facilities are usually shorter staffed during the holidays… the staff wants to be with their families too…. so being a care provider for your loved one may mean taking extra steps for them – either observing and learning about their progress, or communicating concerns to staff. Please don’t let the holiday go by without taking the opportunity to learn how they are really doing. My grandfather’s nursing home records would show he wasn’t eating – but man, you took that guy to a Red Lobster and he wouldn’t stop – the problem, no one encouraged him to eat his meal – they just put it next to him, and came back in an hour….. Families have a duty to pay attention too!