Human beings are social creatures and we, by nature, long for connection with others. However, life can be quite lonely for those who are in long-term care homes. With no professional commitments to keep them busy, life at care homes can be quite lonely for the seniors. However, as a professional caregiver, you can make this phase a pleasant experience for them.
Here are a few steps care homes can take to help seniors combat loneliness:
1. Providing person-centred care: Moving into a care home is a major change in life and for many of the elderly leaving their friends and family behind can be an unpleasant transition. In such a scenario, the care home staff must make extra efforts to make a resident’s stay pleasant. By helping them understand different aspects of daily life in care homes, care home staff can make the elderly feel comfortable and accept the transition positively. Also, getting to know what the individual likes and dislikes can help in providing him or her proper care.
Care home staff wish to give personal attention to each resident, but the amount of workload they have makes it impossible. Along with providing personal care to the residents, they have to take care of the medication administration process which involves not just giving medicines to the residents but doing all the paperwork related to it. To take the load off their shoulder, care homes should switch to eMAR, an electronic medication administration record software. It eliminates paper-based hassles and streamlines medication administration. It will allow care home staff to work efficiently, save time, and prioritise person-centred care. To know how eMAR can help your care home, book a demo today.
2. Promote a feeling of community: Care home staff can help the residents overcome the feeling of isolation by arranging group activities and giving them a sense of community. Communal meals are a great way to encourage socialisation during meal times. Within the care home, you can set up groups and clubs as per the interests of the residents. Group activities like gardening, yoga, singing, painting can go a long way towards fostering a sense of belongingness and improving the overall quality of life.
3. Arrange outdoor activities: Being cooped in one place can be quite monotonous. A change of scenery is beneficial for everyone. As a care home staff, you can arrange a day trip. You can take the residents to a museum, a local park or a movie theatre. This will not only bring back good memories but also help them build new ones. Just make sure you arrange staff for the residents who need extra personal assistance.
4. Plan family visits: Seeing family and friends on a regular basis can lift the mood of the residents. Plan lunch, dinner and outings during family visits. If family visits are difficult to arrange, you can encourage the residents to learn how to operate a mobile phone and chat with their family members. A video call is a great way to see how their family members are doing.
eMAR has helped several care homes in the UK to improve their operational efficiency. The best thing is that electronic medication administration record templates resemble paper-based MAR sheets, making it easier for care home staff to adapt easily.
