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Nursing homes
My husband is in a nursing home. I need advice from other people in the same situation How to make your visits more interesting for them
My husband is in a nursing home. I need advice from other people in the same situation How to make your visits more interesting for them
You need to say why he went into the nursing home. Is it a mobility issue? A faculty issue?
Hi Blueevie, I'm a retired Aged Care Nurse, specialising in Dementia Care. I could type for hours on ways to make your visits more interesting for your husband, but it would be better if you could narrow down his condition please.
We got my mother, who is in a nursing home, a revolving picture frame that has an internet/phone connection. It has its own mobile number. Family and friends can send pictures to it whenever they like and my mother can watch it. When we visit we chat about the pics which helps my mother’s memory but also starts conversations as it can be difficult to think of things to chat about. She loves watching it and can see what the family are up to and feel more involved. When she was more able, she loved playing games or doing jigsaw puzzles with visitors and going for walks outside. They don’t get much fresh air and staff don’t have time to do that with them. Does that help?
I would always walk through Mum's door singing a different song each day! Such as "You are my Sunshine, My Only Sunshine, You make me Happy, when skies are grey' etc. Speaking of music, I took in a CD player and would bring in a different CD each day for her to listen to. I would try and make her guess which one it was before I gave it to her, and that way it would also remind me of what she was fond of, and I would bring in one of her favs on the following day
When she got sicker I purchased a fluffy ginger cat that ran on batteries and would meow and move its tail and head when she patted it. It is designed specifically for adults who are beginning to get Dementia or Alzheimers. This worked a treat, and she loved her cat. Hope this helps, and know that there is support out there for you too! I would also get a wheelchair and take her for a wheel out into the garden so that she could get some sunshine and enjoy the flowers. She liked this.
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Thank you all so much for your lovely comments. I should have been more specific. My husband is bed bound and has frontotemoral dementia. This means he is quite apathetic .
Get staff to put him in the front seat of your car....take him for short drives and top it off with an ice cream from MacDonalds drive through. Take the paper and read it to him, Make sure when it is fine days you sit outside.it doesn't take long to become institutionalized. See if there is a local Caledonian band ( bagpipes) and ask if anyone would like to practice in the nursing home. One of the best places I went to ( I worked for 25 years in aged care) was a lone piper who would come and practice in the courtyard, he always ended up with an appreciative crowd. You would have to get permission to ask the bagpipes to come from the manager, Managers can make or break a place. Colouring books and plenty of sharpeners and pencils, once again you can end up with others coming over to talk to you and your husband, there are now many colouring books for adults. he will get to know the residents better and maybe form a friendship there. Take him a stubby of beer if he was a beer drinker, it is the small every day things that residents miss. Crossword puzzles are also good especially if you can do it in a public area, make sure when you visit you do not do anything in his room, everything should be in a public area because that can lead to conversation with other residents. Its coming up to ANZAC Day ( maybe a bit late this year, If you cut the bottoms off large plastic drinks bottles, cut them around the curves,spray paint them on both sides with red paint and pint the centre black ,you have the perfect ANZAC Poppies, use an old wire coat hanger to be able to put them on the grass. I saw one nursing home that was on a main road and it had about 30 poppies for ANZAC day on a beautifully mowed lawn on the street. Gloves and aprons can be gotten on site. Wishing you all the best. If you need any extra info contact me.
Hi to everyone who responded to my request to find something to occupy my spare time.
Lots of great ideas for me to look in to.
There is a Seniors Expo coming up next month that I will attend to see what that offers.
Thank you so much for caring
Rae
Lots of great ideas for me to look in to.
There is a Seniors Expo coming up next month that I will attend to see what that offers.
Thank you so much for caring
Rae
If he is mentally aware, as was my dad. I play.. let's ask Google. As they have a lot of time to think and reminisce. He use to ask to ask all different questions.. "why is Migaloo called Migaloo" and " what were the seven actors that were the Magnificent Seven" etc. I found this "ask Google" a very handy game and talking point. As for Migaloo.. it means in some indigenous languages "white fella".
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I would read a chapter of a novel each visit when my father was in care. I chose Dick Francis because i like them.
My dear lady, when my husband was in the Nursing home I visited him every single day. So when I go in to visit him I always ask him what he wanted to do, not that he would tell me what he really wanted but he loves when I take him outside for a walk, in his wheelchair. Loves looking at the birds, but this may be different from what your husband wants, but just thought to add to help out a little bit. God bless and I hope someone else will give you some help.
When my father was in a nursing home after the death of my mother and suffering from dementia. I stimulated his memory with photos. Such as his school where he met my mother; his different homes and family and talking about the things he did at various stages. I put the photos from the times of his life around his room for him. But most of all and the memory I treasure still, we spoke about how we used to dance, me standing on his feet and we danced together in the nursing home, a waltz but not of course standing on his feet. So do something together which you both loved doing when younger, dancing, playing card games, boxed games, make a memory book from when you met. All those happy memories!! If he is bed ridden, lie down beside him.
Hi, if you can get the staff to move your husband to a wheelchair on your visits it would be wonderful for him to go outside in the sunshine or go to the common room to be around people if it is too cold outside. If he can't be moved, I would suggest bringing in his favourite music, photo albums (or laptop etc) with family photos, his favourite foods or drinks (depending on if he is able to eat them), and whatever favourite things he enjoyed doing, puzzles, books. Read his favourites to him. Talk to him about times gone by and all about what is happening in your family now. If you have a pet, and it is allowed, ask the home if you can bring them in for a visit.
Also please take care of youreself as well xox I wish you both all the best.
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My husband was in a nursing-home with advanced dementia, and could no longer speak or understand. I played his favourite music to him on my phone or iPad - he loved music!
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