Sometimes, especially with age, people witness a situation when their health condition requires them to not be in a hospital or their homes but at the same time needs most of the healthcare aid to improve their wellbeing. In such cases, a nursing home offers them the help they need. Deciding to move into a nursing home can be a tough decision. Hence, it is important to thoroughly check the home with the right facilities.

What is a nursing home?
A nursing home, is a place that is equipped with all the necessary equipment for the care of aged or unwell people. These homes provide licensed nurses that are skilled to take care of people with age-related conditions and disabilities.

The healthcare home is a blend of a home and a hospital. It has many elements that make the residents feel like home. The staff at a nursing home ensures that the patients are cared for, also called custodian care, providing the help the patient needs.

It comes equipped with special care units for people with health conditions or disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, which is a serious memory problem. All the treatments required for the patients are provided to them in such homes. The staff provides the patients with the required medical care, including physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

Why do patients need to be admitted to a nursing home?
Many reasons or factors make a person opt for an assisted living home.

• Age
  In most cases, people who are 85 or above have higher chances of being admitted to a nursing home. An older person with continuous health treatments for chronic conditions requires care which can be best given to them in a nursing home.
• Poor family support or low income
  If a person is not economically stable enough to bear the expenses of the hospital stay for too long or cannot afford expensive treatment, they prefer staying in a healthcare home where they are taken good care of. Also, if a person has no family to support them, such as a spouse or a child, they are required to be admitted to a healthcare home.
• Low social activity
  Those who lack friends or a social circle, they prefer to stay in a health facility, where they get the feeling of living in a family.
• Functional or mental difficulties
  If a person has some functional or mental difficulties and thus finds it difficult to carry out activities on their own and needs assistance doing daily chores, they are admitted to a nursing home. Here, the nurses take care of such patients and help them with their everyday tasks while giving them the necessary care and treatment.
• Geriatric Syndromes
  People suffering from geriatric syndromes such as frailty, pressured sores, frequent falls, functional problems, among others are also admitted to local nursing homes.

What are the characteristics of a nursing home?
This type of healthcare facility comes with everything necessary to carry on the treatment of patients or residents after a surgery, illness, or any other prevailing health condition. They offer higher levels of care to the older people so that they do not need to stay in the hospital for too long and can rather stay in home-like conditions with almost all the necessary facilities offered by a hospital.

Nursing homes also provide a social network to the residents. Besides, nutritional counseling and recreational activities are also offered for the overall health development. In critical cases, these homes also give hospice, respite, and end-of-life care to the patients. Almost all homes come with:

• Support after surgery
• Skilled nursing care
• Orthopedic care
• Wound care
• Therapies- including physical, occupational, and speech therapies
• Breathing treatments
• Antibiotics
• Intravenous therapy

However, it should be noted that a nursing home is not as equipped as a hospital with higher facilities in tests and treatments and in-house pharmacies. A nursing home partners with specialists to provide such facilities to its residents.

What is the difference between a nursing home and a care home?
A care home is similar to a nursing home, where people of old age who need assistance daily are admitted. It also takes care of people who do not have close relatives or a friend circle. Just like a nursing home, a care home provides care to its residents 24×7. However, the major difference between the two is the availability of on-site health care and a qualified nurse in a nursing home. This means that people who are facing any ailments and need instant healthcare should be admitted to a home, not a simple care home, as here, their health-related problems can be addressed immediately.

A nursing home, for most people, is where they spend the last few years of their lives. Therefore, it needs to be perfect. If you are also looking for local nursing homes for your relative or any person who requires help, make sure to carefully assess and choose the best with good facilities. You can also opt for countryside nursing homes as they might have open areas for recreational activities.