Lately, I’ve been visiting nursing homes. The residents in these facilities require round the clock skilled nursing care, involving complex medications and close medical monitoring.
A relatively new nursing home trend called the “culture change movement” seeks to address quality of life issues - and I’ve seen some progress. Activities directors try to schedule events that will benefit a broad range of people. But in my very unscientific survey of residents and elders, it appears to me that mental stimulation still takes a back seat to physical rehab and occupational therapy.
For instance: I’m a volunteer reader of short stories at one nursing home. My first effort was Jean Shepherd’s classic about a series of family vacation disasters called “Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss”. I read for an hour, but failed to perceive any reaction at all. The audience was polite, and perhaps moderately impressed by my stamina.
It helped that I could recite a Burma Shave jingle by heart: In this vale/Of toil and sin/ Your head grows bald/But not your chin. Burma Shave. But it was only later that I learned the reviews were favorable – and realized that though communication can be difficult for some residents, they could listen, understand and enjoy.
With that in mind, here’s a short nursing home wish list.
Good wifi throughout the building. I’ve been affiliated with four facilities now and each has claimed to have wifi, but it’s been really patchy. A router on every floor would solve the problem.
Movies at least twice a week. Many romantic comedies, old classics, and documentaries are readily available.
Another positive step would be a system for making music accessible to people who may not be able to fuss with little dials. Maybe something like what’s available on the airplane armrests - each channel with a different style of music. Also, easy-to-use earphones would be an instant solution to issues of roommates having different tastes and sleeping patterns.
Daily exercise for people who no longer qualify for rehab services but still want to maintain their levels of fitness. Exercise improves overall health, both mental and physical.
And because Vermont is a mostly rural state, many residents have been around animals all their lives, so I’d add pets to the list. One facility in New York state not only has resident cats, but also birds, fish and a dog who can ride the elevator alone - adding much comfort and cheer to the atmosphere.
Last, but not least, there should be more single rooms available. People moving into these facilities are already giving up most of their independence. A single room with a window shouldn’t be too much to ask.
We all - especially administrators and boards of directors – should be asking ourselves what we would want in such a living situation. Because the time is fast approaching, when most of us - including Boomers like me – are going to need some kind of institutional care.
