There was a time not too long ago when parents of young children were reluctant to bring them to the nursing home in which their grandparents were residents. That was the old model of nursing homes, and unfortunately, one still in practice in many areas of the country. Today there is a newer model in which a caring staff provides only the level of support necessary to enable our seniors to live a better quality of life. If you are planning a trip to visit grandma and/or grandpa in the nursing home where they reside, it’s best that you first know a bit about the facility.
If You Were Not a Party to Their Placement
It could have been the decision of your grandparents alone to enter a senior residence at this time or it could have been an older sibling who was the guardian for your aging parents. In either case, you just might not know what to expect and that doesn’t bode well for preparing children to visit grandparents in a nursing home.
The place they live should be relatively new or recently renovated with various things for them to do. Luckily, with several premier senior services and amenities in Findlay, OH you can find the perfect place for your loved ones to enjoy their golden years and provide your children with a safe and engaging environment to visit. You can check out these senior living amenities that are commonly asked for by family members for their loved ones and that is usually a good start. If they can keep themselves busy doing things they enjoy, then children will be happy and so will the seniors.
That said, what you will find at one Myrtle Beach senior residence like Portside nursing home is something you will just not be prepared for. It is as unlike any nursing home you’ve ever heard of in all your life. It is an active, living, vibrant community of elders who enjoy a quality of life you can only begin to imagine. Conversely, there are still South Carolina nursing homes that fit a centuries’ old model. That’s why it’s imperative that you visit the residence first so that you will know how to prepare your kids.
Don’t Expect Too Much
No matter how much or how often you’ve tried to explain where grandma and grandpa are living, kids will probably not understand. They remember seeing their grandparents at Christmas with gifts all around them under the tree and grandma in the kitchen happily baking Christmas cookies for the kids, and Santa, of course! But they don’t remember grandma and grandma in a place with lots of other old folks and rules that must be followed to the letter.
For example, no running around up and down halls and in common areas. In grandma’s house it’s the same as always, perhaps a little quieter, but freer to be more ‘expressive.’ The point is, don’t expect kids to be totally in control because, when are kids ever? Do your best but bring along a few activities you can sit them down with just ‘in case.’
The Question Is Really, How to Prepare Yourself!
In the end, most of the time you will probably see that it is mom and dad who need to be prepared for what they’ll encounter when seeing an aging parent in one of today’s residential senior settings. As noted, some nursing homes still play by the old rules, but many have begun offering services that give seniors a quality of life they wouldn’t have at home. With around the clock support staff ready to offer assistance as needed, they are no longer alone and that is what matters most.
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