Care homes are a popular option for elderly people who can no longer live safely in their own houses. Whether it’s because they have special medical needs or simply because they’re lonely, a care home can provide all the support required to live a happy and healthy life in your twilight years.
You might think you have a good idea of what care homes are like; for example, because you’ve visited an elderly relative who’s living in one or you’ve seen them depicted in movies and TV shows. However, the following five facts might still surprise you! Hopefully, by the end of this post, you will have a clearer picture of what life in a care home is truly like.
- There are different types of care homes available.
Not all care homes are the same! There are actually a few different styles available, each one designed to suit residents with slightly different needs. The main varieties are:
- Residential care homes: these cater to residents who require personal care with daily activities such as washing, dressing, and household chores
- Nursing homes: these provide personal care but also have qualified nurses on-site to assist residents with more serious medical needs or disabilities
- Care homes for patients with cognitive impairment: these are specifically designed to look after patients suffering from serious cognitive conditions, especially those degenerative in nature, like those more common among the elderly.
Some care homes are run by private companies, while others are operated by nonprofit organizations, local councils, or other healthcare services.
- They take residents on day trips.
Some people worry that once you move into a care home, you’ll never leave, but this is far from the truth! Lots of residential care facilities organize fun day trips for their residents to nearby places of interest. For example, this could be a matinee performance at the theater, an afternoon at a shopping mall, a gentle walk in the countryside, or any other kind of enjoyable outing. Even residents with more serious health conditions may be able to participate in these because trained staff will be on hand to supervise them.
- They run plenty of in-house events.
One of the best parts of living in a top-quality London care homes is the opportunity it provides for socializing and engaging in new hobbies. They operate a packed schedule of events and activities as varied as:
- Painting
- Pottery
- Baking
- Quiz nights
- Tai Chi
- Seated Pilates and yoga
- Film screenings
- Flower arranging
- Singing
- Knitting
- Crossword afternoons
- Board game tournaments
- Language classes
In addition to being great fun, activities such as these help to ensure that the residents stay both physically and mentally active. This, in turn, is vital for their health and wellbeing, boosting mood and improving cognitive functions. It’s also a fantastic way for people to socialize and expand their friendship group. Loneliness is one of the most pressing concerns for senior citizens because it increases the likelihood of people suffering from conditions such as depression, stroke, anxiety, and heart attacks. Therefore, the importance of this cannot be overestimated.
- Some allow pets
If you have a pet, you already know what an important part of your life they become. The fear of having to leave their beloved animal behind causes many elderly people to dismiss the possibility of moving into a care home; however, these days, many such facilities welcome pets. You might have to do a bit more research to find one, but there are definitely plenty out there to choose from. Not only that, some care homes even have therapy dogs on-site to boost the well-being of their residents! This is understandable because interacting with animals has numerous benefits for your health and wellbeing, including lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and combating loneliness.
- You can still enjoy an independent life in a care home.
Some older individuals worry that moving into a care home spells the end of their independence. However, this is simply not the case. You still get to decide your own daily routine, including what and when you eat, how you spend your leisure time, and whom you socialize with. You can also bring plenty of keepsakes and perhaps furniture from your house in order to make your room into a home that feels truly your own. In fact, you might even find that living in a care home gives you greater independence! That’s because you’ll have all the support you need to live life the way that you want to, whether that’s trying a different hobby, learning a new skill, going out on day trips to fun locations, or making new friends.
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