EHPAD or not: how do you best take care of our elderly?

We all get older: not only ourselves, but also our loved ones. How do we best care for aging people? Should we keep the elderly at home as long as possible, or would it be better for someone to stay in a nursing home?

According to the government’s position, if things are not going well at home, the elderly should be able to count on good nursing home care. This currently applies to less than 10% of the elderly. Els Hofman, senior project manager at Movisie, says that the largest group continues to live at home.

This is partly due to reduced nursing home care in order to save healthcare costs. “The positive thing is that we are getting older and healthier, we feel connected to the neighborhood and continue to participate in society for longer,” says Hofman.

If you doubt the sustainability of the situation, there are a few points you can take so that your father, mother, grandparent can continue to live in the house as long as possible. It is very important for a person to stay healthy not only physically but also mentally.

“You can do that by thinking about it and encouraging someone to stay as active as possible,” Hofman says. “To do this, it’s best to focus together on what this person likes: buying something that already gives them pleasure can be motivating.”

It’s also important to talk to each other about what to do when life at home gets difficult. “As an older person, also take responsibility for expressing how you feel and where you hope to be in a few years. But as a son or daughter, do the opposite as well. For example, what should you think about? but when there is a crisis, a lot is still possible.”

ring the bell on time

Living at home is no longer possible if home care is needed around the clock, says specialist geriatric medicine Mahtab van de Belt. “Probably with home care and a doctor, the GP determines in consultation with the family when the situation arises.”

Under the Long-term Care Act, an elderly person can be admitted to a nursing home if they can no longer take care of themselves, if they are grossly negligent or physically injured due to illness, disorder or disability, if a person’s development is seriously compromised, or if their safety in danger comes. aforementioned.

If you as a family cannot determine when the time has come, it is important that your loved ones ring the bell on time and point out that the home situation is no longer possible for them. “Family members do not always know what to look out for and a general practitioner does not always know who needs which care in the area,” says Van de Belt.

Maintain quality of life

Once it has been determined that a nursing home is the best option, you can’t just go for your first choice. “It depends on the category of care that is needed,” says Van de Belt. According to him, nursing homes, like hospitals, specialize in certain forms of care.

“If you have a choice, I advise you to take a good look at whether the treatments they offer are still up-to-date. Perhaps it is good to let other residents know how they have experienced the care and how they have lived there.”

With or without a retirement home, the stage of life in which this problem occurs is in most cases the last years of a person’s life. “How to maintain this quality is a difficult and different question for everyone,” says Mahtab. “I would also recommend guarding your own boundaries. Do you want to spend your energy taking care of your mother, take a shower, or do you want to leave it to professional care and would you rather go for a walk or have coffee with your mother? †

Loneliness also plays a role

Moreover, Van de Belt sees that the elderly do not want to be a burden to their loved ones. In addition, long-term living at home can also lead to loneliness, for example if the social safety net is lost due to illness or death. Hofman: “It is important that you remain in consultation with the person concerned at all times. For some, a nursing home may be appropriate, but a lack of staff means your mom or dad may not get the attention they need.”

Finally, Hofman emphasizes the importance of allowing the elderly to live in their residential environment for longer. We are all responsible for this: by caring for the elderly and taking an active part in life; to your loved ones by discussing what the future might be; municipalities and local authorities, aimed at prevention with a lively and attractive proposal. The elders were made in consultation with them. If we can do that, we have won a lot. Happier seniors certainly lead to lower healthcare costs.