In BC
the province where I live seniors in homes do not have the minimum care
required by law and our provincial government is in no hurry to fix this
problem. However, in other parts of the world, there is much being done. For example,
in a survey of staff from 172 Swedish nursing homes, most residents had been
outside the nursing home during the previous week, but only one-fifth had been
on an outing or excursion.
Very
few residents visited a restaurant, engaged in an education program, went to
the cinema, or even engaged in activities such as hobbies and parlour games.
The
findings can inform staff and managers to promote increased engagement in
everyday activities for nursing home residents to support their wellbeing.
"The study
demonstrates that activities are an important approach to increasing thriving,
and that everyday activities can be conceptualised and implemented as nursing
interventions to facilitate resident thriving as opposed to resident surviving
in nursing home care", said Sabine Björk, lead author of the Journal
of Advanced Nursing study.
The
most commonly occurring everyday activities were receiving hugs and physical
touch, talking to relatives/friends and receiving visitors, having conversation
with staff not related to care and grooming. The least commonly occurring
everyday activities were going to the cinema, participating in an educational
program, visiting a restaurant and doing everyday chores. Positive associations
were found between activity engagement and thriving, where engagement in an
activity program, dressing nicely and spending time with someone the resident
likes had the strongest positive association with resident thriving.
Engagement in everyday activities can support personhood and
thriving and can be conceptualized and implemented as nursing interventions to
enable residents to thrive in nursing homes.
