Many people must face this tough decision, and in some cases, it may be a case of the elderly relative asking to relocate to a home as they feel unsafe or unable to cope with their independent living arrangements. In other cases, it could be a that the elderly relative just isn’t able to look after themselves anymore either due to Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, regardless of what the reasons are, it is highly likely that there have been other options that have been discussed within the family such as the elderly relative moving in with one of the family members.
This is an option that needs to be very carefully considered as it will mean that the caring member of the family will not get a break, is likely to get very highly stressed, and it could very well end with that family member falling ill themselves due to the pressures put on them from other members of the family as well as the relative that they are caring for.
Choosing the Correct Nursing Home
When you are thinking of moving an elderly relative into a nursing home, you must carry out your research into every home that you are considering. If your elderly relative has their wits about them, make sure to give them every opportunity to be involved with the decision. After all, it is them who is going to be living there.
Some nursing homes specialize in Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and should your relative not require this level of care, you may find that you are paying a premium for unused services. However, if your elderly relate is suffering from either of these conditions you must place them in a home that can facilitate this need as they will benefit greatly from their carers’ and nursing staffs’ experience and knowledge.
Getting the Funds Together
It is no secret that caring for the elderly is an expensive necessity, and although most people try to keep their elderly relatives in their own homes for as long as possible, sometimes a nursing home environment is just an unavoidable solution.
Getting the funds together to cope with the high costs of having a relative in a residential nursing home can be a real struggle and it is often that the family will have to sell the relative’s home to foot the bill. This can have all kinds of issues attached to it, especially if it is filled with sentimental memorabilia. This is where it could be very beneficial to have a BlueBox delivered to your relative’s home. A BlueBox Bend OR could be the difference between you and your family falling out and financial strains getting out of control.
With a blue box, you can take your time to fill it up with all the contents of the elderly relative’s home and have it moved to a family member’s property. This means that you and your family will be able to take your time in going through its contents and be able to divide up any family heirlooms while the house is empty and in the process of being sold to make the financing of the nursing home that much easier for all concerned.
Once you are finished with the BlueBox and it is empty, you will be able to call the company and they will come and collect it.
Keeping In Contact
This is far from the end of the matter. You will have to keep a close eye on your elderly relative and make sure that they are alright and do not feel left out of the family, even if they are suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
If the nursing home that they are staying in has a garden area, it will be highly beneficial for your relative to be able to get outside, especially if the weather is warm and the sun is shining. You may find that if you ask the nursing staff, they will happily assist you and provide you with an area where you and your relative can be comfortable in the fresh air.
If you have a large family this can be easily split between you, however, if you only have a small family this can be quite a feat to perform. In this case, it is important to remember that you can phone or use a video call if the nursing staff are happy to assist your elderly relative in answering and ending the call.
Of course, you are going to have to let distant relatives know of your elderly relatives move to a local nursing home so that they too can keep in contact. You must include every way that your relative can be contacted and the times that they are most likely to be free for a chat so that they do not get disturbed while they are having their breakfast, lunch, or dinner so are therefore either unable to answer the call or are not able to finish their food or miss out on their pudding option.
Video calls are great for families that are spread widely as it means that the elderly relative will possibly get to see more family members than they may have otherwise seen. Nursing homes tend to be good at laying on the entertainment for their residents but there is nothing in comparison to having a conversation and catching up with family gossip to cheer up your elderly relative that is stuck within the same four walls every day.
To Wrap It All Up
Deciding to relocate your elderly relative to a nursing home is a very hard one to come to, but if it is for their benefit then it is a good decision to make. The nursing home must fill all of the required criteria for your relative’s health and mental wellbeing, but you and other family members are still going to have to keep in contact and arrange regular contact with the elderly relative so that they do not feel that they have been forgotten in any way.
