Columbia Aged Care

Aged Carer has written an article to help you understand who will be responsible for looking after elderly patients in a nursing home.

Many health care professionals will be involved in the care of a resident in a nursing home. Understanding how the aged care home operates, who provides care and who to go to when you have a problem are important in ensuring your relative gets quality care.

Aged care homes are classified as low- level care or high- level care. The nursing staff employed in an aged care home will have various levels of nursing experience. In some low- level aged care homes a registered nurse will be 'on call' in case of an emergency. Always ask the aged care home how many qualified nursing staff actually work on the floor as opposed to being 'on call'.

Personal care workers who work in low-level care need easy access to qualified nursing staff either an endorsed enrolled nurse or preferably a registered nurse at all times. Keeping up to date on your loved one's health will be much easier if you understand the roles and experience of key nursing home staff.

Personal care workers
Out of all care staff Personal Care Workers (PCW's) or Assistants in Nursing (AIN's) spend the most time with your loved one. Nursing home staff should preferably have their Certificate III in Aged Care Work. PCW's assist your loved one on a daily basis with personal hygiene, mobility, meals and social interaction.

In some nursing homes PCW's can assist older people with self medication (Taking medication from a Webster Pack). PCW's can vary in nursing experience and skills. A good aged care home will organise its staff into nursing teams taking into account every staff member's knowledge and capabilities. On occasions nursing home staff will be replaced by agency nurses.

Don't expect agency nurses to know a great deal about your loved one's care routine or medical history. If a nursing home is having to rely on agency staff on a regular basis it is generally not a good indicator of continuation of care. 

Registered nurses (RN)
Registered nurses (RN's) working in residential care are generally university trained with special skills in geriatric, palliative and dementia care. The number of registered nurses on duty at any time in an aged care home can vary.

A registered nurse will direct and supervise PCW's and ensure a resident is receiving proper care according to their nursing care plan. On a daily basis a registered nurse will assess your family member's health, provide physical and technical nursing care and manage medications.

The registered nurse will make sure your loved one receives treatment as prescribed by a doctor. They may also organise other health care professionals to be involved in the care of your family member. If you are concerned about your family member's health or you have a problem with nursing home staff, the registered nurse in charge is the person to speak to.

Family should be kept up to date regularly by the registered nurse and informed of any changes in a family member's health. This includes information such as changes to medication, problems with mobility, nutrition and any recent falls or skin tears.

Director of Nursing (DON)
The Director of Nursing or DON is in charge of the day to day management and administration of a residential care facility. All aged care homes must be accredited in order to receive government funding.

The DON ensures the aged care home meets a set of 44 expected outcomes relating to the care provided to its residents. You can ask a DON about the aged care homes current accreditation status.

An aged care home with three years accreditation shows compliance with the 44 expected standards aged care homes are expected to meet. An aged care home that focuses on quality assurance and a culture of continuous improvement will be more responsive to the care needs of its residents and more likely to deliver a quality service.

The DON largely drives this culture and will strive to deliver quality care to its residents on an ongoing basis. When choosing an aged care home ensure you arrange a meeting with the DON.

Is the DON approachable? How does the DON interact with residents and staff? Ask the DON about the nursing homes current accreditation status and how the aged care home handles complaints. Is the DON open to discussing your concerns? Question the DON about staff turnover. How does the aged care home look after the needs of its staff? What levels of experience do they have? Do you provide opportunities for ongoing education and promotion? How do you reward your staff?

If you are choosing an aged care home take the time to observe the nursing care staff. Nursing staff that are happy and respected will work hard to ensure your family member receives the care they deserve.

Most family caregivers struggle to balance care for an aging parent or relative with other major responsibilities, including jobs and caring for children. This often means that there is little time to care for themselves, which can result in poor health and high levels of stress.

In fact, according to a new Home Instead Senior Care survey, 55 percent of the family caregivers who utilize their professional caregiving services appear to have average or significant levels of stress.

Below are some tips for avoiding and managing caregiver stress from the experts on the Home Instead Senior Care Advisory Board:

Work out:
Exercise and enjoy something you like to do (walking, dancing, biking, running, swimming, etc.) for a minimum of 20 minutes at least three times per week. Consider learning a stress-management exercise such as yoga or tai-chi, which teach inner balance and relaxation.

Meditate:
Sit still and breathe deeply with your mind as "quiet" as possible whenever things feel like they are moving too quickly or you are feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities as a caregiver. Many times you will feel like you don't even have a minute to yourself, but it's important to walk away and to take that minute.

Ask for help:
According to a national survey by Home Instead Senior Care of adults who are currently providing care for an aging loved one, 72 percent do so without any outside help. To avoid burnout and stress, you can enlist the help of other family members, friends, and/or consider hiring a professional non-medical caregiver for assistance. There is no need to feel guilty for reaching out. Click here for a complete list of helpful resources.

Take a break:
Make arrangements for any necessary fill-in help (family, friends, volunteers or professional caregivers). Take single days or even a week's vacation, just make sure you line up your support system so you can be confident that your loved one is safe and happy. And when you're away, stay away. Talk about different things, read that book you haven't been able to get to, etc.

- there is no excuse not to.

Eat well:
Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, including nuts and beans, and whole grains. Indulging in caffeine, fast food and sugar as quick "pick-me-ups" also produce a quick "let-down."

Take care of yourself:
Just like you make sure your loved one gets to the doctor regularly, make sure you get your annual check-up. Being a caregiver provides many excuses for skipping your necessary check-ups, but don't do it. Indulge: Treat yourself to a foot massage, manicure, nice dinner out or a concert to take yourself away from the situation and to reward yourself for the wonderful care you are providing to your aging relative. You shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to feel good.

Support:
Find a local caregiver support group that will help you understand what you are feeling/experiencing is normal for someone in your position.

This is a place to get practical advice from people who are in your situation and to bounce off those feelings of stress, since everyone is likely to be in the same situation and can empathize. Click here for a complete list of helpful resources.

If you don't take care of yourself, you will never be able to continue taking care of your loved one. This means eating right, getting adequate rest, building exercise into your schedule, and keeping up with your own medical appointments.

Source: http://www.caregiverstress.com/avoidcgs.html