Nurses are key players when it comes to healthcare, and often they don’t get the credit that they deserve. They work in all kinds of healthcare settings, from hospitals, GP offices, and even schools. Another important area you will find nurses hard at work in is in senior care homes, helping the elderly get the support they need to live comfortably in their later stages of life. While there are other essential members of a care home team that help to keep things running smoothly, nurses are vital for these establishments. Below are some of the key reasons why nurses are needed in senior care.
Medical Expertise
While nursing homes will offer more hands-on medical care to residents, it’s still important to have healthcare experts on-site at assisted living facilities, retirement communities, memory care centers, and so forth. Whether residents need help with medication management or ongoing treatments, nurses can provide the medical expertise they need to stay healthy and comfortable. They can also help to liaise with doctors and other healthcare professionals to develop and carry out wellness and treatment plans for patients.
Assessing Patient Needs
When residents are looking at care homes to move to, nurses can help to assess their specific needs to ensure that this support is in place when they move in. Through conversations with the resident, their relatives, and other healthcare specialists they can work to determine if the care home is the right place for them and how to implement this care when and if they do move into the home.
They Can Assist with the Transition
Another important role that nurses offer in care homes is that they can assist with the transition, which can be challenging for new residents. It isn’t easy moving into a new living environment, particularly if you have been used to living in one home for years. While many care homes can offer top-quality facilities and rooms, such as the ones by signature-care-homes.co.uk, it can still take time for new residents to get settled. Nurses can help these new residents and their relatives become acclimatized to their new living situation easier and be there to answer any questions they might have.
They Offer Emotional Support
Nurses don’t stop at assisting with medical care, but they also provide a lot of emotional support for patients and their families as well. Seeing your relative’s health deteriorate can be upsetting at times, and you might find that you are feeling anxious or unsettled about the future. Nurses can provide important information and advice to help you get through this, as well as comfort patients who also feel scared about what is coming next or are in pain.
Supporting Other Staff Members
The care home staff need to work together to ensure that the residents are cared for properly, and nurses help support other team members to do this. They will work closely with the care home nurses and the rest of the support staff to ensure that important information is passed on and the relevant actions are taken to care for all residents in the home.
Nurses are the unsung heroes of healthcare and are vital team members in any care home setting to give residents the best quality care during their time in care homes.
