Deciding how to care Ior our Iamily aIter they are unable to care Ior themselves is one oI

the most diIIicult decisions that we can make. The predicament is made increasingly diIIicult by
several diIIerent Iactors. Work, Iamilies, and relative proximity to where those loved ones live
can contribute to the complication oI decision making. A decision oI this magnitude cannot be
taken lightly; thereIore, I plan on researching the two main approaches to this dilemma.
Primarily, people tend to be placed in retirement homes. The retirement home is good Ior those
who have Iamilies and aren`t capable oI caring Ior their loved ones personally at their home or
the loved one`s home. There are several diIIerent types oI nursing homes to Iit the needs oI their
residents. A private nurse is a comIortable alternative to relocating loved ones, but their price tag
can be too large Ior a lot oI working class Iamilies. The decision involves several elements that
demand a personal solution Ior each individual Iamily.
When considering the extended care oI relatives the last thing that one wants to consider
is price, but the Iact is that not all can aIIord to have a private nurse or to be placed in a
prestigious retirement home. In this situation, a Iamily member is either Iorced to care Ior the
person or have them put in a Iacility that can aIIordably accommodate the needs oI the elderly.
According to the American Health Care Association (AHCA), 66 oI all nursing homes are
privatized Ior proIit businesses (Nursing Home Statistics AHCA). The remainder oI the US`s
nursing homes is either not-Ior-proIit or government run and, according to the AHCA, oIIers a
lower quality oI care than their Ior-proIit counterpart. During my interview with Kristen Songer,
she said that 'Most elderly people who are placed in our Iacility are inIluenced by their Iamily
members. Mrs. Songer is a nursing specialist at a private Iacility in Southwestern Virginia. This
coercion she reIerred to can be attributed to two things. Firstly, the elderly may Ieel that they are
capable oI managing their own liIe when in reality they are not. Secondly, the more the

upsetting oI the two scenarios is that the potential patient suIIers Irom Alzheimer`s or dementia.
The latter situation demands proper care and the layman is unIortunately not capable oI caring
Ior an adult with dementia properly. Considering that dementia is degenerative and the primary
symptoms aIIect memory, speech, language, and judgment (Brewer JB, 2007), a person with a
disease that causes dementia needs to have someone looking aIter them at all times. This is
nearly impossible while working a Iull time job and the Iamily must discuss this tough decision
iI their loved ones develop problems that they cannot control.
A private nurse at home oIIers several luxurious beneIits that cannot be attained Irom
traditional retirement home care. Patients are able to stay at their home and have to alter their
personal schedule very little. The most notable beneIit is that the resident does not need to move
Irom their house. Considering that they are in their own house, they can help contribute to their
own lives more and this helps to reinIorce their Ieeling oI selI-worth. Private nurses can give
Iriendship to an elderly person that really needs it. Also, iI the person has pets, clearly the nurse
has no right to tell them that pets aren`t allowed in their own home. It would be diIIicult to have
a pet in a nursing home. Having a private nurse is Iar more personal than having a team oI
alternating nurses at a nursing home. OIten, nurses in a nursing home are overworked and
Iatigued by their job. A private nurse has Iewer patients to deal with and, consequently, has more
time to personalize the care that they give to an individual.
Socialization is a key part oI keeping the elderly not only active, but it also keeps their
spirits high. With age, the mind deteriorates as well as the body. As earlier discussed, dementia
can be a strain on a person`s attitude, but being part oI a social schedule can help improve a
person`s outlook on liIe. Having a private nurse has a great deal oI advantages, but socialization
with a group is typically not one oI those advantages. Mrs. Songer reIerred to several programs

that are in place at her Iacility in order to keep the elderly active during our interview. According
to her, these activities help to give the residences a schedule that keeps their attitude positive.
Games with other members oI the Iacility keep their mind sharp and physical activities help keep
their bodies healthy. Everybody can get depressed Irom time to time and a strong community can
help an individual get over their depression. A nursing home helps to Iacilitate such a
community.
In regards to logistics, a nursing home is going to have Iar more tools at their disposal
than a private nurse in a home. There are machines that help liIt residents when they are unable
to assist themselves. Kris Songer, says that all rooms are properly equipped with handrails where
needed and are Iree oI unnecessary debris. Installing such tools in a residential home would cost
a small Iortune that most people don`t have access to. As well as adequate equipment to properly
take care oI the elderly, the Iacilities have a nursing schedule that assures no resident is leIt
without care.
A nursing home can be a great place Ior someone in the latter years to spread their wings
and be a member oI a healthy community. UnIortunately, not all residents take this approach
when moving to a nursing home. Some residents are resentIul oI their situation. The conIusion oI
abruptly moving to a new home can trigger stress and Iurther degrade their quality oI liIe by
increasing the eIIects oI dementia. Considering Mrs. Songers`s comment about how most
individuals are coerced to move to a retirement home, one can understand that not all residents oI
a nursing home wish to be in a nursing home. According to my interviewee, most residents begin
to accept their new home as soon as their Iamilies come to visit on a regular basis and talk them
through their new situation. Mrs. Songer cited a speciIic resident that did not improve until his

Iamily began to visit more, and this is an example oI how a seemingly negative situation turned
positive aIter communication amongst Iamily members.
According to Kris Songer, the major concern Ior her residents is that there should be
more nurses on staII during every hour oI the day. At times, she could possibly be caring Ior 10
diIIerent residents. That type oI schedule can lead to several issues. A Iamily puts a loved one in
a nursing home in order to ensure their saIety and well being and this cannot be done iI the home
is understaIIed. A result oI being understaIIed is inevitably the improper training oI new nurses.
It would be nearly impossible to expect a highly overworked nurse to train someone on top oI the
daily duties that they already have. This is ultimately unsaIe Ior residents. The most immediate
eIIect oI overworking nurses is their Iatigue. Nurses assist residents to do nearly all daily
activities at times and this is taxing on their bodies. Mrs. Songer reIerred to several occasions
where she was expected to work 10 hour shiIts without having a proper break. Surely, nobody
wants Ior their loved ones to be taken care oI by overworked, underpaid, and undertrained
nurses.
Even with the proper inIormation, an individual still Iaces a serious decision when it
comes to extended care Ior their loved ones. Finances, as discussed, are a major Iactor. But, it is
important to note that expense is not always synonymous with quality. Another Iactor is the
home liIe oI the Iamily that needs to make the decision oI placing an individual in a home. The
needs oI the elderly individual are also a crucial element and they must have the appropriate
treatment Ior their speciIic needs. HopeIully, with open dialogue and personal meditation a
Iamily can Iind the solution that best Iits their Iamily`s needs. Ultimately, the care oI our loved
ones is the matter at hand and it must not be taken lightly.

#eIerences:

Brewer JB, Gabrieli JDE, Preston A#, Vaidya CJ, #osen AC. Memory. In: Goetz CG, ed.
Textbook oI Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 5.

Nursing Home Statistics AHCA
http://www.eImoody.com/longterm/nursingstatistics.html