Elder care is the subject of many legal battles. As the population-at-large ages, the need for elder care is increasing. More and more people are filing suits of elder abuse and neglect against nursing homes because of the consequences of not being attentive to their residents’ health and safety. You can view more about this information and see the stunning statistics for yourself.
There are many ways to improve the aged-care system. The government is already presenting a plan of action to improve the quality of elderly care, especially in nursing homes. Here are some ways to improve the aged-care system to provide a better quality of life for seniors in nursing homes.
- Better Quality of Nursing Home Staff
To improve elderly care in nursing homes, they should be staffed with healthcare professional who take pride in their work and are capable of providing compassionate care to all their patients.
Nursing homes should also employ staff that have undergone comprehensive training and have years of experience to ensure that they are capable of giving the care that their patients need. The residents of these homes should be able to trust and depend on the staff to be always around when they are needed.
All nursing homes are now required by the government to employ highly-skilled and experienced healthcare professionals to help improve quality of care and life they can provide to the nursing home residents.
- Professional Education and Training for Nursing Home Staff
Nursing homes play a vital role in providing support and care for the frailest members of our society. However, not everyone is convinced about the quality of care that some of these nursing homes provide. This is why training and education for nursing home staff should be widely promoted as it is an effective way of improving the staff’s knowledge and skills, which in turn raises the quality of care they can provide.
Proper education and training courses should be provided to these nursing home staff so they can be effective in their line of work. The government along with its health and education agencies are drawing up a plan to bring more quality professional education and training to all nursing home staff across the country.
- Provide More Transparency about Quality of Care
Currently, transparency in healthcare is almost nonexistent, and healthcare professionals should make some actions to change that. In fact, patients, healthcare advocates, and government officials are now pressuring the healthcare industry to be more transparent.
To increase the transparency about quality of care, especially in nursing homes, reviews by residents and family members should be published so the public can access this important information. This will help others who are looking to choose a nursing home for their seniors.
- Access to Appropriate Medical Equipment
One way to help improve care for an elderly one loved one is to ensure that the nursing home you are considering has all of the appropriate medical equipment and devices. Seniors who remain active and independent may be at risk for falls and slips that can lead to broken bones and other serious injury. Seniors are also at high risk for conditions that can lead to infection and other diseases if they do not use the right type of equipment to get around and protect themselves, or if the staff doesn’t have the right equipment to treat their residents in the case of sickness or injury.
- Encourage Family Members to be More Proactive
Another way to help improve the care of seniors, especially those with disabilities, is to encourage family members to take an active role in caring for their loved one. A trusted adult in the family needs to be designated as having ‘visitor’ status. This person should be responsible for making sure that the senior in question gets medical attention when they need it. It is also important for this individual to be able to make arrangements for the necessary medical equipment or services that the senior in question may need.
Encouraging an elderly loved one to make time for exercise is very important. Many people who become disabled during or after the course of their working life and cannot care for themselves on a daily basis. Having consistent exercise on a regular basis, however, may help to improve their mobility and quality of life.
Final Thoughts
As more and more people are relying on nursing homes to provide care for their older family members, it’s only important that the aged-care system should improve. If the changes that we mentioned above are to be implemented, we can expect to see nursing home care standards improve and provide resident satisfaction.
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