Growing older gracefully

[Lanolin]

via how do you cope with the covid situation, what do you do to keep them occupied?
When I worked in them, nurses would come and do activities, like read aloud, or do quizzes, and exercises, they would have books and jigsaw puzzles, and they would have social club things.

Some of them had pets to keep them company. Or they would play endless games, like mah jong, or scrabble, cards, snooker, and bowls. They wouldn't just sit and watch tv, though some of them did just that.

Funny I didn't really see much knitting or quilting going on, but that's also something elderly (women) do a lot of.
Men had a workshop/shed where they would knock about bits of wood.
There was also a gardening club each week that I would direct and we would go round weeding and tidying up the garden and have morning tea afterwards.

In the evenings, they actually did have happy hour, where they'd have drinks, though I didn't stick around for that! Apparently its not fun handling drunken elderly people (I don't want to imagine!)

 

[Via dolarossa]

we play bingo, and board games.
we have old movies, and we do activities,
the other day, one of the carers assisted in them with painting class.

it would be nice to see them bake but most of them have difficulties with eyesight, and its hard for them to see.

 

[rtm3039]

We had home care for my mom. There is a company here called VITAS that provide services. We had two 12 hour shifts and they did a fantastic job. With my dad; however, he needed oxygen and that becomes a little more complicated for being at home. He was in an an assisted living facility for the last month of so of his life. It was a couple of blocks away from the house, so not difficult to see him daily.

I would not be able to so this for a living.

rtm

 

[Lanolin]

We had home care for my mom. There is a company here called VITAS that provide services. We had two 12 hour shifts and they did a fantastic job. With my dad; however, he needed oxygen and that becomes a little more complicated for being at home. He was in an an assisted living facility for the last month of so of his life. It was a couple of blocks away from the house, so not difficult to see him daily.

I would not be able to so this for a living.

rtm

I'm not sure I could either.
It takes dedicated people to be nurses and caregivers. I can reasonably look after plants and children, but elderly I don't know if I can handle. Working in retirement villages gave me a bit of a taste of what it's like. It can be difficult because many elderly are set in their ways! They don't like change that much and who can blame them.

12 hour shifts? Did they get to have any breaks? That's quite a long shift...!

 

[rtm3039]

I'm not sure I could either.
It takes dedicated people to be nurses and caregivers. I can reasonably look after plants and children, but elderly I don't know if I can handle. Working in retirement villages gave me a bit of a taste of what it's like. It can be difficult because many elderly are set in their ways! They don't like change that much and who can blame them.

12 hour shifts? Did they get to have any breaks? That's quite a long shift...!

Yes. It was 12 hour shifts at our home. They watched mom, but that was not a constant. They watched TV, ate, read, and were on the phone. They were kind of like part of the family.

To be, the worse part if knowing that all of those you are caring for will die. They constantly have to deal with death and how family members will react.

 

[Lanolin]

When somebody dies at one of the retirement villages, they have the flag at half mast.
We go through quite a few deaths in churches that have lots of elderly members. But if it's all the time it gets a bit much. People sometimes call rest homes 'God's waiting room'. Hospices are set up for those dying to be cared for free. They do an incredible amount of work caring for those who are terminally ill. Aside from that, you can do things like provide flowers or organise donations of goods (also op shops do sell off peoples effects to raise money for carers).

We had one death of a young girl in school last year who had cancer. Over recent holidays, two dads of school children families had passed away too. We always need to be mindful that death happens all around us, and it is part of life for everyone. Thats the deal for being mortal!

But then there's elderly who aren't actually dying they are just disabled. So its harder for them because they won't get free care, and they won't see much improvement unlike someone who is young and can adjust, even if they are in a wheelchair.

I think everyone needs to learn a few nursing skills at least, just as people learn CPR and first aid. It ought to be a highly valued skill set - caring for others. I see a lot of books all about self-care being published now. But there will always be certain things you just can't do by yourself or on your own. People have got to face reality and let themselves be cared for and also know how to care for others.