Deciding to put your loved one in a nursing facility is never easy. You have to consider the negative impact that it can have on your family’s finances and the emotional impact it may have on your loved one. Even if you do as much research as possible, there are still some things you need to take into account when choosing a nursing home.
Here are some of the risks that come with placing your loved one in a nursing facility.
Mental Decline
If your loved one already suffers from some type of mental illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, being placed in a nursing home might make their condition worse.
Furthermore, many nursing home residents started showing signs of dementia after being placed in a nursing facility. To minimize any cognitive decline, you can try getting your loved one used to a nursing facility first by starting with daytime care.
Financial Distress
Unless your loved one has Medicare coverage, considerable savings, or some other way to pay for their care, you might find yourself in financial ruin trying to keep up with nursing home payments. This one can be a tough decision to weigh because paying for 24-hour home care can end up costing you even more than what a nursing facility would.
Here are some ways that you can offset most of the costs of a care facility:
- Long Term Care Insurance -As with any other type of insurance, you must shoulder a portion of the costs. Keep in mind that you might fare better if you make larger monthly payments to lower your deductibles.
- Medicaid waiver -Because specific programs such as Medicare and Medicaid don’t typically cover long-term care costs, you would need to apply for a special waiver. However, this waiver is generally available to low-income families that need assistance with paying for a nursing facility.
- VA Benefits -While the benefits your loved one receives as a veteran can be of great help with covering monthly expenses, they probably won’t cover all the costs associated with long-term care.
Emotional Withdrawal
For someone who is active and used to being in their own home, being in a nursing home can cause your loved one to become extremely depressed. Not only is there a sudden change in their lifestyle and routine – older people are very fond of their routines, but the loss of freedom and the new environment can be very overwhelming.
If a nursing facility is your only option, the best thing you can do to help ease your loved one’s anxieties is to visit them as much as possible. While visitation is not always possible, daily phone calls, family album photos, and other familiar objects they can place in their room can help.
Poor Care
There have been many incidents where a resident’s health declined dramatically while in a nursing home due to neglect or insufficient care. Some residents, especially those with mobility issues, have gotten bed sores, caught pneumonia, or had developed other health issues because of improper care.
That is why it is so vital that you thoroughly research any potential facilities and ask lots of questions before placing your loved one in a nursing home.
Safety
Sadly enough, nursing home abuse is quite common even in the developed world. Not only should you be concerned with how the staff is treating your loved one, but there is also the threat of other residents as well.
If your loved one is injured because of another person’s negligent behavior, including nursing home staff, you should call a lawyer right away and get the compensation you deserve.
While there are some risks that you need to consider when placing your loved one in a nursing home, there are lots of benefits as well. With the right facility, you can rest assured that seniors are being taken care of on a daily basis while decreasing the burden of care for you and other family members.
