Staying Involved With Your Loved One

It can be difficult bridging the gap between when to visit your loved one and when to allow for time to settle in to the nursing home. However, most people would agree that it is best to visit regularly to provide your loved one comfort and show that they are not alone. Although the professionals at The Neighbors of Dunn County are caring and compassionate, your loved one cherishes every visit that you make. Angie’s List recently published an article explaining different ways to stay involved with your loved one. These tips can make a tremendous difference in the life of your loved one:

The best way to stay involved in your loved one’s care is to visit often. Your family member will look forward to your visits. Visiting (especially unannounced) is also the best way for you to assess whether proper care is being provided.

If you live out of town and can’t visit often, send frequent letters and pictures to stay in touch. When you call, ask to speak to a nurse to check on your loved one’s care and current medical needs.

If you can, try to schedule visits at different times. Your loved one may act differently at different times of the day. Try to schedule visits on different days with other family members, so that your loved one will have company to look forward to on a regular basis.

One technique is to keep a guest book in the patient’s room and ask all visitors to sign it. This is a fun keepsake for the resident, and it also helps a family keep track of who visited and when.

Some nursing homes schedule events for the entire family, especially around the holidays. Take advantage of these events to spend more time with your loved one and have fun as a family. Ask the staff for a monthly event schedule so you can plan to attend these functions in advance.

Implementing these tips into your loved one’s care at the nursing home can greatly increases their comfort and sense of belonging, not only in the nursing home but in your family as well. 

Source: Angie’s List