Drastic Time Change In Nursing Homes
The good ol’ days are coming to a close as the nation’s senior citizens are slowly reaching the deadline of life. Seniors are becoming more ill, leading to the need for essential care which takes place in the nursing home. Seniors of age sixty-five or over, or even younger patients, come to a nursing home for health solutions. Essentially, a nursing home is the place where those who need small amounts of healthcare, therapy, or healing for diseases are advised by qualified nurses. Nursing homes have been around for years, however, the change from century to century has affected they way senior citizens are cared for. The ways in which a society cares for its senior citizens has changed drastically over time, as seen through an examination of how seniors were nursed in the past, how they are assisted now, and how they will be taken care of in the future. It is important to understand the origin of a nursing home in order to see how senior citizens were nursed back then. During this time, nursing homes were in buildings called poorhouses or almshouses. Brought over by the English settlers, they were convinced the poorhouses were meant for those who were suffering and unable to be helped (Hicks).
The Civil War took its toll on United States’ citizens. Furthermore, a massive amount of citizens would live in these almshouses due to the difficulty of the elderly being assisted in their own homes and “became a sort of last-resort option in spite of their reputation for deplorable conditions” (Hicks). Sooner or later, the functions of a nursing home would gradually improve its conditions. On behalf of the 14th Amendment being passed, “poorhouses became voluntary and some seniors would choose to spend time there for the sake of companionship or to save bills in the cold months of the year” (Hicks). The Fourteenth Amendment allowed natural born citizens to stay where they were currently living, protected the right for individuals to have the liberty to their own property. The history of a nursing home is key to understanding when and where seniors were nursed back then. Along with the history of nursing homes, the seniors assisted back then needed some sort of medical care plan. “The almshouses provided shelter and daily meals, and typically that was all that was provided” (AMFM). As time expands, this method will remain exactly as it is until “the 20th century and the almshouses were overwhelmed during the Great Depression”(AMFM). The government would later see how the minor conditions, such as extra funding and space, had a massive impact on senior citizens and their lifestyle in the almshouses. Taking action in 1935, the Social Security Act would authorize a public assistance program for the elderly known as the Old Age Assistance program or the OAA (Institute of Medicine).
The Old Age Assistance program allowed funds to go towards nursing homes for seniority care. Fifty-two years later (1987), the government would comply to creating the Nursing Home Act, introducing the variety of services provided, and then followed by with a Resident’s Bill of Rights (AMFM). Along with the Nursing Home Act, the 1965 Moss Amendments enforced guidelines for a senior’s protection. Some of these guidelines would include the ability to recognize abuse and fraud quicker, and for qualified nurses to be on the staff team (Hicks). A medical plan was essential in order to help administer care to those who were in need. Sadly, the conditions in a nursing home back then were shocking when it came to assisting the elderly. With the effects of the Civil War occuring, almshouses were unable to provide for their patients on their own. Items such as clothing and food were given as a donation to the individuals living there (History). Not only the elderly were living in these almshouses, but other individuals who were mentally ill, orphanage children, or those who were physically incapable were housed as well (History). Population affected the way patients were nursed back around early twentieth century. Multiple patients would be placed in a room together, due to the population. Seniors would then move into “board-and-care homes where they could rent a room, receive a basic level of care, and have a couple of meals provided each day” (Hicks).
Later on, the 1950’s era was where senior citizens would stay in hospitals for lengths of time. The government would provide funds for the construction of nursing homes to be made, allowing the same care to be provided in the nursing homes as from the hospitals. According to Kristen Hicks, “From the early 1950’s to the 1970’s, the number of nursing homes grew considerably in consequence, from 6,500 to 16,000”. Back then, the population would change the way an individual was nursed. Today’s time era has changed the way senior citizens are aided, and the functions of a nursing home have higher quality. Staff are always there to take good care of those who need assistance anytime and anywhere. A few household functions are included such as laundry, arranged meals, and transportation (Shapiro 56). Nursing homes allow activities to be held for social reasons, making it hard for a patient to not be lonely. Such activities can include fitness classes, meals in one setting, and even traveling to nearby attractions (Shapiro). Medical functions are important in a nursing home “and although assisted living doesn’t provide medical care, the staff will often supervise medications” (Shapiro 56). Costs are not a problem here in a nursing home. As a result, “ninety percent of residents pay out of pocket. Long-term-care insurance policies, which once covered only nursing home care, now commonly help pay for assisted living” (Shapiro 56). Functions in a nursing home help keep the method of care for senior citizens. Technology is key to helping individuals in nursing homes. Modern day nursing homes use high technology for any and everything. This can include health data, electronic order entry, education, communication, and more. Technology is used by the patients themselves, and when patients “use technology solutions to manage their health, they see results in: modify their behavior related to chronic conditions, improve their medication adherence” (Marak).
More importantly, the care providers/skilled nurses rely on technology on a day to day basis. Examples can include monitoring patients, decreasing drug activity (like alcohol), monitoring vital signs and skin cancer, along with enhancing a patients’ social activity (Marak). Without technology, nursing staffs would be unable to provide good healthcare to those staying in these living facilities. The patients wouldn’t be capable of using technology for individual or social interaction. Nowadays, technology is used in nursing homes for everything in order to be successful in helping a patient. There are multiple types of nursing homes in which a senior citizen is taken care of. Currently, there are three different types of nursing homes: skilled nursing care homes, intermediate care facilities, and supervised assisted living facilities. A skilled nursing care home has more than just the typical nursing homes services. Services such as medication services, dental care, Physician visits, and more are ministered here (Kropf). Skilled nursing care houses individuals who need treatment twenty-four seven. Intermediate care facilities are the basics in a nursing home. Nurses that are qualified are there to help track a resident’s health based solely on the condition they have (Kropf). Supervised assisted living facilities are not the kind of nursing home someone would expect it to be. Supervised assisted living facilities are for those who are unable to care for themselves, such as getting dressed or eating on their own. It is important to understand the different types of nursing homes and how they care for seniors individually.
As senior citizens continue to become older, more and more come in to be nursed. In today’s time, the amount of individuals who are at the age of sixty five or older have gone up drastically. Statistics show that “in 1900, only about 3 million of the nations people had reached 65. By 2008, the number of senior citizens had increased to nearly 39 million” (Keith). An excellent example of patients coming in for healthcare are the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers were a populus group in the United States who were born between the year of 1946 through 1964. Due to the increased population, this generation would impact the United States along with its economy and public education. For example, businesses would use multiple commercial ads in order to gain more customers (Sullivan). Continuing on, the cause of the Baby Boomers began during World War II and the Great Depression. With the War occuring and the Depression coming to a close, “many Americans delayed marrying and having children because of the poor economy and the wartime conditions” (Sullivan). This had drastically changed the way of life due to World War II. Eventually, events would change, life would continue, and the numbers of birth and marriage would rise (Sullivan). Going further, the Baby Boomers would continue to grow and reach the elementary school age.
As imagined, classrooms were too small to hold such a large capacity of young students. When it came to college, the admission of students would be chaos, and education costs would expand (Sullivan). As life passes by, Baby Boomers will reach “retirement age, its size will put a strain on programs designed to help senior citizens. The chief pension program, the Social Security system, provides money to retired people, using funds contributed by active workers” (Sullivan). This generation would affect the amount of patients needed in order to care for current seniors. One of the ways a senior will be assisted in the future is the strategy of the Baby Boomer generation. Barbara Knecht mentions the Baby Boomer’s wishes when it comes to the nursing homes. According to this populus generation, a “Smart Home” wants to be used when becoming the age of a senior citizen. This way, they won’t have to go to the typical nursing home. Advanced technology will be used in these “Smart Homes” such as home sensing technology, communication controlling, etc. (Knecht). Now, putting this into a medical sense, why would smart homes be important to Baby Boomers? The University of Rochester’s Center for Future Health has put this challenge into perspective by seeing how this is all possible. Instead of visiting the doctor’s office, “the sensors and monitors can keep data on traditional vital signs, such as blood pressure and pulse and respiration, but will also measure the ‘new’ vital signs, such as gait, behavior patterns, sleep patterns, general exercise, and rehabilitation exercise, among others” (Knecht).
Of course a patient would need to visit the doctors for conditions, however, these detections are capable of helping a senior detect the conditions sooner. Motion sensors will be put into these “Smart Homes” as well in able to detect movement and track activity. Years ago, a man named Gregory Abowd, professor from Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing, tested an experiment with a load sensor. The load sensor would be placed in a floor tile to detect the person’s weight, and track their activity around the house (Knecht). Not very much progress was to be made. Instead, Abowd would use Radio Frequency Identification to be tested. A tag attached to someone’s shoe would connect to a computer, and send signals, with floor mats that contain antennas (Knecht). This test would become a success. This kind of technology in “Smart Homes” are just the needs the Baby Boomers have been pushing for. This strategic of “Smart Homes” are the future of senior care. Another way seniors will be nursed in the future is about the popular rise of technology. The generating idea of radio-frequency to track patients is in high demand. Any time of the day, the radio-frequency will track the location of a patient to see where they have gone.
The advantage of this technology “would be a significant reduction in the amount of time spent locating residents for medications, treatments, etc. - also would reduce safety concerns” (Lane). The second popular demand is more sharing with friends and family. The more a patient’s loved ones are able to stream music, send pictures, or Facetime, the better it will be for that patient to have a sense of comfort and care (Lane). Lastly, the exceptional idea of robotics have come to mind, robot pets to be exact. Something about therapeutic animal robot allows comfort or healing towards a patient. The point being that “animal therapy really confers lots of benefits to the health and well-being of older adults, and robotic pets have the promise of delivering those benefits, but without all the risks of infection, bites, and whatnot associated with live animals” (Lane). With the advancement of technology, these adjustments can better help the future of nursing care. As seniority generation grows into the future, the population will be taken into serious consideration. If thirty nine million people were senior citizens in the year of 2008, the population must have expanded since (Keith). It is obvious that the population growth has increased since then. “Population experts estimate that about 72 million Americans-about 20 percent of the population-will be 65 order in 2030” (Keith). This is a large amount of our population that will need seniority care in nursing homes. With the population continuing to increase, the social security benefits are affected, and later on in time, the age will change from sixty five to sixty seven (Keith).
The population will be considered in the near future will the populus group of senior citizens needing healthcare. Each senior citizen is aging towards the conclusion of their lifetime. Becoming more and more fragile, an individual needs the necessary care, leading to the rest of their time in a nursing home. The average patient, with the age of sixty-five or over, resorts to a nursing home for their individual healthcare needs. The nursing home is where different patients with different health problems reside, with help from certified nurses. The way a senior citizen is cared for has been alternated throughout the years. In the past, nursing homes were a place where all the unwealthy and needy were provided with unstable healthcare. Currently, senior citizens have proper healthcare plans, modern day technology, and the populus group called the Baby Boomers. The future will is uncertain, however, with the predicament of advanced technology and population allow senior citizens to expect great things for the nursing homes.
