It is increasingly common for families to send their elderly relatives to live in nursing homes, rather than take care of them at home. This essay will highlight some of the benefits and drawbacks that have resulted from this switch.
Looking firstly at the positives, a significant advantage is that care homes are often much better equipped to deal with the demands of elderly people than family homes. For example, nursing homes do not usually have stairs, and for those which do, stairlifts or elevators need to be installed. This means that the typical mobility problems which tend to appear among geriatrics are not exacerbated. Not only this, but the staff who work at nursing homes have been professionally trained to manage the needs of the elderly. It is rare for family members to possess these skills.
However, care homes for the elderly also present some disadvantages, the most obvious of which is the lack of loved ones around. Although it is possible for friends and relatives to visit nursing home residents, these visits can be infrequent, and loneliness is often the consequence. To make matters worse, it has been shown that those who are lonely are at greater risk of becoming depressed and having their immune system weakened. Furthermore, care home residents are often surrounded by illness and death. Such an environment is likely to curtail happiness and trigger severe depression.
In conclusion, despite the benefits of specially-trained staff and well-equipped facilities that nursing homes can offer the elderly, the drawbacks of loneliness and its concomitant depression should also be taken into consideration.
It is
increasingly
common for families to
send
their
elderly
relatives to
live
in nursing
homes
,
rather
than take
care
of them at home. This essay will highlight
some of the
benefits and drawbacks that have resulted from this switch.
Looking
firstly
at the positives, a significant advantage is that
care
homes
are
often
much better equipped to deal with the demands of
elderly
people
than family
homes
.
For example
, nursing
homes
do not
usually
have stairs, and for those which do,
stairlifts
or elevators need to
be installed
. This means that the typical mobility problems which tend to appear among geriatrics are not exacerbated. Not
only
this,
but
the staff who work at nursing
homes
have been
professionally
trained to manage the needs of the
elderly
. It is rare for family members to possess these
skills
.
However
,
care
homes
for the
elderly
also
present
some
disadvantages, the most obvious of which is the lack of
loved
ones around. Although it is possible for friends and relatives to visit nursing home residents, these visits can be infrequent, and loneliness is
often
the consequence. To
make
matters worse, it has
been shown
that those who are lonely are at greater
risk
of becoming depressed and having their immune system weakened.
Furthermore
,
care
home residents are
often
surrounded by illness and death. Such an environment is likely to curtail happiness and trigger severe depression.
In conclusion
, despite the benefits of
specially
-trained staff and well-equipped facilities that nursing
homes
can offer the
elderly
, the drawbacks of loneliness and its concomitant depression should
also
be taken
into consideration.