Five ways to avoid going into a nursing home

Nursing homes provide an important service for those who are not able to care for themselves.  Ensuring you don’t end up there too soon can be achieved through taking an active role in your well-being and implementing strategies to stay healthy and active.

Here are our top 5 tips on how to avoid going into a nursing home:

1. Create a Safe Home Environment

Ensuring your home is set up to prevent falls and other hazards helps give yourself, your family, and caregivers peace of mind to know you are safe in your home.

Taking the time to do a simple audit and make changes to improve quality of life and safety in the home:

• Use a walker to get around the house
• Install handrails near toilets, showers, and bathtubs to prevent slips
• Move the primary bedroom to the ground floor to decrease the need to use stairs
• Ensure nonslip floor mats are in place
• Reorganise items on shelves to ensure they are easily reached without stretching or step stools
• Declutter your home to provide more space both physically and mentally – consider using a professional service to assist

A comprehensive checklist of things to consider is available here at Australian Seniors.

2. Enlist Support from Home Care Services

There are a variety of home care services available to suit your needs.  Whether it’s a few hours a week to assist with housekeeping and cleaning, daily visits from nursing services to check on a medical condition, or personal hygiene assistance, there is a service available to support you in your home.

Let Real Community Services work with you to build tailored support to meet your needs. By taking the time to match qualified and dedicated workers with your interests, they make sure you are comfortable with who is coming into your home.

You can select your carer from a pool of qualified and dedicated workers. This ensures you receive support from the person with the interests, skills, and experience to suit you. It also means you have control over the level of assistance you receive.

The dedicated and friendly workers can assist with such things as:

• Meal preparation
• Personal care
• Light domestic assistance
• Day to day housekeeping items
• Maintaining your independent living skills

3. Keep Moving

Ensuring you keep physically active and mentally engaged outside the home is an important part of staying “match fit” to live independently.  Most local South East Queensland councils run free activities for seniors, Brisbane City Council has a great range of activities including parkland Zumba, chair yoga, Pilates, balance better, and stay moving with Tai Chi & Qigong and Fitness 4 Seniors just to name a few.

4. Meal & Grocery Delivery

Once exclusively a service for the elderly and unwell, meal delivery is now part of many Australians’ lives, and this has brought with it greater choice in how food and prepared meals.  From online grocery shopping with delivery through to meals prepared to your dietary needs.

5. Engage your Mind

Plan to structure your week with interactions that bring joy and connect you with like-minded people.  Having a purpose, hobby or interest is a great way to engage your mind in activities outside your home.

• Learn a new skill – artistic pursuits like drawing or painting through a local TAFE course
• Volunteer your time for a cause that’s important to you or in your community
• Join a club – local libraries often run book clubs, a bridge club, or event a group that goes to the movies together

Our team at Real Community Services provides in-home support for children, young adults, adults, and seniors.  Contact us on 1300 007 270 to discuss how we can assist.