Therapy Options in Nursing Homes help answer the question of how to make the most of residential placement in a facility. If you have ever placed your loved one in a nursing home, you have probably experienced all kinds of emotions. Working in long-term care facilities for over 42 years as an Occupational Therapist has exposed me to plenty of the ups and downs, good and bad, of nursing home placement. I have been exposed to all kinds of reactions from family members as well as their loved ones. In addition, I have had the opportunity to assist in a positive way to help those dealing with the changes in later life.
How Does Therapy Contribute to the Elderly in Nursing Homes?
What is the difference between the three therapies that are commonly provided in nursing homes? Getting involved in the facility activities outside of the room is extremely important to avoid isolation. By doing so, it allows the staff to observe residents and get ahead of the decline in function. Referring those residents to different therapies is one way to help diminish their potential loss of independence.
Therapy Options in Nursing Homes
Therapy Options in Nursing Homes include all three disciplines, Physical, Occupational, And Speech Therapy each with a distinct role in contributing to the comprehensive care of the elderly. Consider the contribution that these therapies provide, with the ultimate goal of working together to enhance the well-being of the elderly.
Take a Look at the Role of Therapy in the Nursing Home:
Physical Therapy Option in the Nursing Home:
Physical Therapy addresses independence in walking, mobility, strength, and balance for those individuals with physical limitations or disabilities. The elderly often need assistance with pain management, muscle strengthening, and balance deficits to decrease falls. They are at risk of declining from walking to wheelchair-level mobility. The physical therapist will assess if a resident can use a walker or cane or is unsafe for mobility other than wheelchair mobility within the environment.
Occupational Therapy Option in the Nursing Home:
Occupational Therapy focuses on assisting the elderly to remain as independent as possible in their activities of daily living. Determining which adaptive equipment is necessary to allow the highest level of independence bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and training the residents and staff on safety is a huge part of OT.
Speech Therapy Option in the Nursing Home:
Speech Therapy targets residents who may have difficulty speaking, understanding, or hearing what is being said to them, or swallowing difficulties, as a few. In addition, it focuses on memory and cognitive deficits. We have found that difficulty in any of these areas could cause a decline in multiple areas including weight loss, increased confusion in the new environment, and increased isolation.
An Elderly Influence:
I will never forget a new resident who moved into the nursing home that I was working in. She made such an impact on me. She was 92 years old and had been living at home with outside assistance, due to her blindness. From the moment she moved into the facility, she told me, “I love it!” and “It is so beautiful!” I was astonished! I knew that she could not see anything in her environment, but frequently spoke of how beautiful it was. I asked her how she was feeling about her move, and her words of wisdom have stayed with me for decades. Her comment was, “I can’t change anything right now, so I am going to see all of the wonderful things around me, including the beautiful people here to help me”.
I am approaching the age of many of my residents, and after observing physical decline through the years, I take advantage of a product to help combat the aging process. Discover how these products may help you as well. Occupational Therapy allowed me the chance to learn so much more from them than I have taught them. Collectively, therapy options in the nursing home contribute to the overall well-being and quality of life in the elderly. Furthermore, I am so happy to have played a small part in contributing to make someone’s life better.
Consequently, I’ve explored alternative methods to maintain my youthful vigor, such as delving into the science of bio-hacking aimed at combating the aging process. Additionally, I’ve embraced an invigorating new approach to remote work, enabling me to build an income that paves the way toward financial independence. By actively engaging in continuous mental stimulation and learning novel approaches to tasks, I am fostering my ongoing personal development, regardless of my age.
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