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Senior Living

2011-03-01 11:31:00

What is it like in a nursing home?

Question: What is life like in a nursing home?

Answer: Well, I can’t really answer that exactly because it’s a little different for each person and nursing homes vary also. However, let’s just follow a fictitious person through their choices for the day in a nursing home. To make it easier, let’s assume you are in the nursing home and choose to get up about 6:45 am. (Some choose to sleep in until 11 am). At 6:45 am a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) would lightly knock on your door, announce themselves and step into your room. They would then come to your bed to help you wake up. Depending on your needs, they would assist you in getting ready for the day. Perhaps you would need help with oral care, hair care or dressing. Perhaps a little assistance would be needed getting to the toilet. Once you were ready, they would either let you head down the hall to the dining room, or assist you. Arriving in the dining room you would be asked what you were ordering for breakfast. Then you would make choices from the breakfast bar, and have them brought to you, while you were waiting for your order to be ready. You would be talking with other residents, who had become your friends and chose to get up the same time of day as you. Perhaps this morning, you wanted donuts and coffee as you wait for your breakfast to be ready. Drinks would be brought to your table according to your preferences. You might end up with water, milk, a juice and your coffee. Periodically you would be checked to see if you needed a refill. Your breakfast, that you chose off the menu would arrive. Today you chose scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage and biscuits. The CNA bringing them would inquire if you needed any assistance with your food, even though she knows you very well and knows you are self sufficient.. After breakfast is over you go back to your room, where an aide greets you and reminds you to get ready for your whirlpool bath that you chose over a shower. Whirlpools are so much nicer than showers you think. As your bath finishes, you think about what you want to do for today. There are many things to choose from. Perhaps you will choose to spend a half-hour with Bible study this morning. It’s a great way to start a day. Especially after your invigorating whirlpool bath. Then it’s decision time. Do you want to go with the guys to play poker, or join the music makers group this morning? Poker sounds like fun you think. The conversations are always fun and you like the camaraderie of the group. Perhaps you’ll do music tomorrow. The game lasts a little long, (you were winning), so you then slip into the exercise class a little late. Today, there’s new music and a whole new fitness routine that you can do. A couple of the exercises are a bit too strenuous for you so you just do what you can, but it really feels good after sitting at that poker table for so long. With exercise over, you and a couple of friends opt for some relaxation in the TV room until lunch time. You look forward to choosing your lunch. The food is always so good that sometimes it’s hard to choose what you want. A great hot lunch really hits the spot as you sit in the dining room, looking out at the snow blowing by the windows. You talk with your table mates about the times you have had to work out in the cold white stuff and are thankful that today you can stay warm. The live piano music makes a nice background for your conversations. Warm and snug, with a full tummy, you decide a nap would be good before you begin activities for the afternoon. As you head for your bed, you ask that you be awakened in time for Bingo at 2 pm. It seems your head just hit the pillow when you hear the voice of the activities person coaxing you from sleep, reminding you that you wanted to get up for bingo. Getting to the bingo game, you find the caller on your side and you win three games. In a celebratory mood, you join other residents at the monthly birthday party with the obligatory cake, ice cream and drinks. Then its off to a session of Wii bowling. They’re talking about setting up a Wii tennis tournament. You think you might do better at that. Bowling is fun, but the strikes seem to be just a hard to get as on a real alley. Tired and hungry you’re ready for your dinner when you finish the games. You put in your order, eat and head for your room. As you arrive in your room, you notice on the activity schedule, there’s a movie and popcorn in the TV room this evening. You’ll have time for a quick nap before you go check out the movie. The thought of that fresh popcorn and how good it smells makes your mouth water. You know that after a busy day and evening movie, you’ll be tired and ready for bed. But the staff here is always so helpful that you know if you need assistance getting ready for bed, or even just someone to untie your shoes, they’re always ready. As your head sinks into the pillow, you think it’s really nice to be here. It’s home.