Dear Amy, Yes, I do! Do NOT talk to the elderly as if they are children..no matter how "childlike" they seem. Even if they cannot speak, you aren't sure what they can hear & understand, and the hearing is the LAST sense to go. Laura ------=_NextPart_000_01BCCF59.15AE1360 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><p><font size=3D3 = color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Comic Sans MS"><b>Dear Amy,<br> Yes, I = do! Do NOT talk to the elderly as if they are children..no matter = how "childlike" they seem. Even if they cannot speak, = you aren't sure what they can hear & understand, and the hearing is = the LAST sense to go.<br> Laura</p> </font></body></html> ------=_NextPart_000_01BCCF59.15AE1360--
> > hi! i'm starting clinicals in a couple of weeks at a nursing home. I was > > wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
> Some of the most wonderful time you will spend with seniors who are > living in a nursing home is the time spent talking about their lives. > You will be amazed at how fascinating their lives have been. A good > place to start this kind of conversation is by looking around their room > for a photograph of family or spouse. Ask about it. It could start a > great therapeutic relationship.
> -Gregg
Aloha... Just wanted to say that I TOTALLY agree with this! Just in the last four weeks, I've heard stories about World War I, a woman putting her husband through medical school in the thirties, a woman being a "flapper" in the twenties, and what it was like growing up on a sugar plantation near the turn of the century....and all of this from patients! You really CAN learn a lot from them...if you only are willing to ask questions and listen!!!!!
On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Amy Barker wrote: > hi! i'm starting clinicals in a couple of weeks at a nursing home. I was > wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
Some of the most wonderful time you will spend with seniors who are living in a nursing home is the time spent talking about their lives. You will be amazed at how fascinating their lives have been. A good place to start this kind of conversation is by looking around their room for a photograph of family or spouse. Ask about it. It could start a great therapeutic relationship.
Dear Greg, Absoultely!!! I should have written that too. When I started clinical, all of my patients were in thier 90's and terminal. Most couldn't talk so I talked to them. It infuriated me to see students talk to these people like they were 2 years old. My secons rotation I had elderly people that were A & O x3, and I LOVED hearing about their lives!!! Laura ------=_NextPart_000_01BCCF73.02A6B640 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><p><font size=3D3 = color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Comic Sans MS"><b>Dear Greg,<br> = Absoultely!!! I should have written that = too.<br> When I started clinical, all of my patients were in = thier 90's and terminal. Most couldn't talk so I talked to them. = It infuriated me to see students talk to these people like they = were 2 years old.<br> My secons rotation I had elderly = people that were A & O x3, and I LOVED hearing about their = lives!!!<br> = &= nbsp; Laura</p> </font></body></html> ------=_NextPart_000_01BCCF73.02A6B640--
Treat them with dignity, kindness and a smile. Many of them still have full mental faculties, they just can't live alone anymore or need round the clock care. Pretend they are your grandmother or grandpa and treat them the way you'd want your loved ones t be treated. It gives one an appreciation of how it is to be old and feeble.
On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Amy Barker wrote: > hi! i'm starting clinicals in a couple of weeks at a nursing home. I was > wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
Working with the elderly is wonderful. They have so much to share and are so grateful for even the smallest thing you do for them. Some are mentally with it...some are loosing it and some have lost it. Some are combative and very hard to deal with. Some are "senile" but still wonderful to work with.
Here are some pointers:
* Speak clear and slow facing them ..in case they are hard of hearing * allow them enough time to answer and show interest in what they say * allow them to do as much as they can for themselves * If they give an answer that seems off the wall...ask the question again and make sure they understood you...they might've just not heard you right. * allow them plenty of time to do what they need to do...don't rush them * ask them about their life....you can learn so much from them * touch them ..on the shoulder..hand..a hug..so many elders get very little physical affection * ask them what they would like you to call them...we are taught to address them as Mr. + Mrs. but many to be called my there first name or nickname. * always give them as many options and choices as they can reasonably make
>I was >wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
Patience, Grasshopper. Keep in mind that the elderly (or aged, if you prefer that term) are grown adults and should be treated with respect. Do not treat them any differently than you would a client in his/her 30's or 40's. When you receive your assinment, read the chart first. That can give you a wealth of information such as communication problems and meds that could interfere with the communication process.
I'm sure that you will have to take a health history. Keep in mind that a lot of the things you will want to know can be gleaned during regular conversation. Try not to overwhelm your client by bombarding him/her with questions. Remember everything you've learned about therapeutic conversation!!
One final word of advice--do NOT use dimunituives or terms of endearment, i.e., honey, sweetie, dear, whatever. This can be very offensive and should never, ever be done. Call your client by Mr. or Mrs. until you are given permission to use the Christian name. (This is my pet peeve about the nurses where I work; they insist on calling clients sweetie, honey, dear. And I work in acute care--a cardiac unit in a hospital. It drives me crazy and I would kill someone who did that to me.) Kate Fairleigh Single parent, student nurse, and aspiring midwife. "God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." --Jewish Proverb.
On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Amy Barker wrote: > hi! i'm starting clinicals in a couple of weeks at a nursing home. I was > wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Gregory Ramos wrote: > On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Amy Barker wrote:
> > hi! i'm starting clinicals in a couple of weeks at a nursing home. I was > > wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
> Some of the most wonderful time you will spend with seniors who are > living in a nursing home is the time spent talking about their lives. > You will be amazed at how fascinating their lives have been. A good > place to start this kind of conversation is by looking around their room > for a photograph of family or spouse. Ask about it. It could start a > great therapeutic relationship.
> Dear Amy, > Yes, I do! Do NOT talk to the elderly as if they are children..no matter > how "childlike" they seem. Even if they cannot speak, you aren't sure what > they can hear & understand, and the hearing is the LAST sense to go. > Laura
On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Donna M Lehman wrote: > Treat them with dignity, kindness and a smile. Many of them still have > full mental faculties, they just can't live alone anymore or need round > the clock care. Pretend they are your grandmother or grandpa and treat > them the way you'd want your loved ones t be treated. It gives one an > appreciation of how it is to be old and feeble.
> Donna in FL
> On Thu, 2 Oct 1997, Amy Barker wrote:
> > hi! i'm starting clinicals in a couple of weeks at a nursing home. I was > > wondering if anyone had any pointers on caring for senior citizens.
