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Why are there Private Caregivers in Nursing Homes?Friday, August 10, 2018
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People are often shocked to realize that Warm Embrace provides service within long-term care homes (previously known as nursing homes). We have numerous clients who live in long-term care homes all across the region—in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Elmira, even all the way out to Palmerston!
If people move into nursing homes to have everything taken care of, then why do they need a Warm Embrace Caregiver?
One-on-one undivided attention
You might think “there are tons of staff at the nursing home, why would we bring in another caregiver?” You’re absolutely right—there are many staff within long-term care. There are nurses and PSWs, housekeeping staff and maintenance staff, administrative staff and social workers—the list goes on and on! Sure there are many people buzzing around, but none of them are there exclusively for your parent.
People know when a visitor is there just for them, versus someone who is there for the whole group. Staff must pay attention to all the residents; even hired entertainers must try to engage the whole audience. The residents inherently know that those visitors are for everyone. It is no different than attending an event at Centre in the Square—the performance isn’t for you personally, it is for the whole audience.
A personal, private caregiver, by contrast, is there for your parent exclusively. They are not rushing out of the room to assist anyone else; they are not turning away from your parent to converse with someone else. They are there to provide undivided, one-on-one attention. It is amazing to see how people KNOW the difference. Someone with advanced dementia who can no longer speak will absolutely light up when her caregiver arrives—she knows the difference between her personal caregiver and any other visitor who is there for the group.
Matching Individual Needs
Residents in long-term care centres have a huge range of needs. Some people are there because of cognitive needs—their brain has been affected by an illness such as dementia. Others are there due to physical needs such as incontinence or requiring a Hoyer lift for transfer. Others may have a combination of both physical and cognitive needs such as those with Parkinson’s or stroke survivors.
The Activity Director has the very challenging job of trying to find group activities that match as many needs as possible. Naturally, the activity director has to cater to the average so that as many people as possible can participate. However, residents on either end of the spectrum may feel left out. Those who are very sharp mentally may feel that activities are too basic or childish. Those with advanced dementia may find activities too complicated or frustrating.
A caregiver matches the individual needs of the resident whom they are helping. The activity can be scaled to suit the ability of their client so that the client never feels frustrated while also ensuring that the client is not bored or under-challenged. Maintaining just the right level of mental stimulation is a delicate balancing act—one that can be managed by a caregiver who is assigned to meet the needs of just one client at a time.
Managing Behaviours (expressive communication)
Moving into long-term care can be a frightening experience for someone with dementia. Suddenly, everything is different. Routines have changed, the environment has changed, and everything seems to be moving so quickly. Someone with dementia may not be able to articulate how they are feeling. Instead of saying: “I feel frustrated and overwhelmed right now” they may instead act in a way that you’ve never seen before.
Their new behaviour is a form of communication. They are trying to tell you something. . . the hard part is to figure out what they’re trying to say. Nursing home staff who are rushing from resident to resident may not have the time or undivided focus to figure out what your loved one is communicating.
Instead of just seeing “challenging behaviour” we see a form of communication. We consider ourselves to be detectives—we are looking for clues to decode what your parent is attempting to tell us. If we can start to pieces together the clues, we might be able to decode a legend of sorts—a legend that will help interpret future communication. Nursing homes are large facilities with tons of staff coming and going. Warm Embrace Caregivers work alongside long-term care staff to provide the best possible care for your loved one! As a team, we work to ensure all your parent’s needs are being met. Long-term Care staff may focus on their immediate physical needs but our caregivers will take the extra mile to provide your loved one social and emotional support. |
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Chloe Hamilton 117 November 11, 2024 |
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Lissette Mairena Wong 36 August 7, 2024 |
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Avery Hamilton 4 June 7, 2018 |
