Moving a loved one into a nursing home can be a difficult thing to come to terms with. However, a nursing home room does not need to be a symbol of something negative.
One of the most important aspects of medicine is the promotion of patient recovery, and this is where having an eye for interior design and a little knowledge of the important things to consider can make all the difference.
Mobility
This can be addressed in many ways; it may involve hoists, slings, and transfer aids to move your loved one between desired locations safely. However, another important factor of such devices, which can be overlooked, is the duration of the handling procedure.
For some, the use of a hoist can be an undignified experience, and so if the procedure is necessary, then it should be done promptly and without undue delay. This ultimately comes down to the efficiency of the system in question. It would help if you also considered the overall layout of the room in question.
Can your loved one reach everything they need to reach, can they move around freely given their own lack of mobility, and do they have the necessary means to function effectively? These are all vital questions to address early on.
Comfort
At the core of any good nursing home is the cultivation of quality of life, and as such the room should be reassuring and comfortable. Bedding, for example, should be breathable, easy for staff to wash and/or replace if needs be, and ideally be waterproof in many cases.
Beds should be durable and large enough for your loved one to be able to move around freely and have the necessary features, such as adjustable backrests or knee-break functions, to accommodate their mobility assistance needs.
Also consider the temperature of the room, as this goes a long way toward a room feeling cozy and homely.
Hygiene
This is a critical factor when considering both quality of life and the overall health of your loved one. A prime example is having the ability to shower without having to stand up, something easily accommodated by the simple use of a commode.
However, even this pales in comparison to the often-unnecessary trauma caused by a lack of access to items like all-in-one pads, bed protections, or fixation pants, which can dramatically improve the circumstances of those suffering from simple incontinence and are a staple of many nursing home supplies.
Aesthetic
A nursing home room does not need to be a depressing place to be in, and so this is where your creativity and eye for interior design should come into play.
The room should feel spacious enough that they do not feel claustrophobic, light enough that they can see everything they need to, and vibrant enough that it does not create a sense of mundaneness or boredom.
However, ultimately the room should reflect the personality of your loved one, whose room this is, and so really, the best judge of how it should look should be them.
Health & Safety
However, at the heart of all of this lies the need to monitor your loved one’s physical health and for vital medical needs to be communicated quickly and effectively, as this is the reason a resident is in a care home, to begin with.
This is precisely why patient sensors, alarms, and nurse call pressure pads are among the most important of all care home supplies, as these cover not only the cultivation of quality of life but they allow residents to feel safe in the knowledge that help is available where necessary, but also the preservation of life in the event of a life-threatening emergency.
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