If your parent is in a residential care home, you entrust the staff with their well-being. Yet some care homes fail to do enough activity with those in their care, and that can lead to a rapid deterioration in residents’ health.
Here is how:
Physical health
Muscle mass can deteriorate rapidly in old age, and residents who do not get the chance to use their muscles will soon become weaker and more dependent on others than those who do.
Mental health
The brain is similar to a muscle in that you need to work it to keep it healthy. Care homes where residents sit in front of the TV all day long are not doing as much as they should.
Staff can arrange quizzes, provide puzzles, encourage conversation, reading and a host of other activities that keep residents flexing their brains. This can stave off mental deterioration and descent into dementia.
Emotional health
Going into a residential home can be challenging. Knowing that you can no longer live independently, stay in the house you loved, sit in the garden you created from scratch or talk with the neighbors you have chatted to for years can take a huge emotional toll. The care home needs to help new residents deal with this and feel at home in this new phase of their lives
Physical, mental and emotional health are all interlinked, and a deterioration in one can soon lead to deterioration in the others. Ensuring residents get plenty of physical activity can boost their mental and emotional health.
If you feel a care home has been neglecting your parent’s health, it is wise to learn more about your legal options.