What Life Is Like In A Nursing Home

"Don't cast me away at old age, and when I lose my strength and my ability, don't let me go."

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Beit Shalom

[missdoggielover]

I work as a CNA at a nursing home and that’s all the residents want is visitors. They want people to talk with them. I’ve seen many of them bawl their eyes out because they miss their families. So if you have someone in a nursing home call them, make time to see them even just once a week. It means the world to them.

[kellytaylor]

This is not what most nursing homes are like. They’re usually understaffed patients barely get the care they need and they are lonely most of their days and the caregivers are exhausted or awful people.

[unleashingpotential-psycho]

Nursing homes often treat their residence horribly. I used to work as an EMT delivering patients in nursing homes and I've seen a lot of abuse in there.

[glencoco]

" 1 mom can take care of 10 kids... 10 kids can't take care of 1 mom"
Damn

[emvdm]

This is heartbreaking. Its as if they all became toddlers again, reversing their age. They are all so precious. Really is a reality check and makes you appreciate where you are in your life right now. ❤️

[IshanAli]

Not being funny but if my parents looked after me growing up. I’m damn sure I’m looking after them when they grow old

[devonwarner]

My husband works in nursing at a care facility. He works 60+ hour weeks doing overnight nursing shifts. He rarely gets breaks and only gets 1 half hour lunch break a night and comes home exhausted every morning. But he was voted last week by all the residents in the facility as their favorite nursing staff member and was given an award for it by the residents. He ditched out on our anniversary just to cover a shift tonight so that they wouldn't be understaffed and the residents would be cared for. It breaks his heart when families never visit their elderly loved ones and he comes home a wreck when a resident passes away. He makes time to go to their funerals and share memories of the loved one with their families.
Not all nursing facilities are great and not all nurses and cna's are good, but there are many, like my husband, who really love their residents and would do anything to make their lives better, happy and more fulfilled. So before you say how terrible these nursing staff member are, just remember that they are caring for the loved ones you either can't or won't care for yourself and they are doing it for 48-60+ hours a week and most are lucky if they make $11 an hour to do so. They don't do that job for the money, guys, they do it because many of them actually care for these people as if they were their own loved ones.
I am very lucky to be married to a man with that much love, kindness and patience because nursing is not a job many people are capable of doing and they aren't appreciated enough.

[hannahj]

My grandfather was in a “nursing home” and he was never allowed outside. He tried to escape multiple times as he was used to the going out on a walk up a mountain casually, it was absolute torture for him nit to go outside and I still feel guilty that it’s where he died.

[maries]

Woah, Elsie‘s beading is absolutely amazing. I’ve honestly never seen something like that. All of the residents seem so happy.
Funnily enough life in the nursing home reminds me a lot of my schedule in the daycare I work at. Everyone seems so full of joy and we play loads of games!
I hope the elders there will all live the rest of their lives as happy as they are now!

[ceciliaburtton]

HA! I found this quite humorous. This is NOT what a nursing home is like. Hoawever this one is very nice and ot looks like they actually care for their patients. Most of the elderly are abused in nursing homes, so this was very nice to see.

[EnzosMom]

The elderly are my weakness. Really hitting me where it hurts today, buzzfeed.

[Gisselleo]

I find it sad to think their own children don’t come and visit them. Before my grandma passed away and got more ill, my mom, aunts, and uncles would always take care of her. She lived primarily with my aunt in Colorado, but before her health had gotten bad, she would always travel to the PNW and visit all her children (11 alive today). And trust me, when my grandma was in town, she was the Queen. When she stayed with my mom, my mom and I would take shifts at night to make sure my grandma got the proper medications and tucked her in bed. Bless her heart. Never would I want to put my mom in a nursing home. It’s hard to trust people these days with our most precious gifts.

[chloehunt]

as an stna who works in a nursing home facility, it is sad to read the comments of everyone saying how the elderly are abused in nursing homes. most of us work really hard to take care of them and make sure everything is okay and goes as needed. it’s our goal to help not hurt. though i know not every stna is great just like all professions.

[selenaracelli]

I used to volunteer at a nursing and it was such a humbling experience. When I heard one of my favorite lady died, I cried for days but yet I was so happy to that I’ve got to spend time with her and make her last days happy/memorable.

[leilam.g.]

Wow, this really hit me. I once volunteered at a nursing home for a few weeks for my church about 2 years ago when I was 13. I remember not really wanting to do it because I was worried about school and homework and other selfish reasons but also because all of my grandparents had died and I didn't want it to remind me of them. It was especially hard thinking of my maternal grandpa because he was the last grandparent I had and he was the only one I really got to know. Towards the end of his life, his Parkinsons medicine started affecting his perception of reality and he started to see things that weren't there and it really sucked, even though he was still his same old goofy self, he wasn't completely sane. When he died, it really hit me how real age can be and how much changes as you get older(sorry, i realize this is kind of a tangent, back to the retirement home). So when the time came for volunteering at the retirement home, I was worried I would see things i didn't want to see, such as people who aren't completely there. The truth is, I did have multiple experiences where people had mental problems, but I also saw many seniors who where fine, kind and gentle people who honestly, had no reason for being there which i felt bad about. The good thing was that this was during the holiday season so it was really great that us children could come and cheer them up during the time of the year when they should be with family. It's especially great that they would light up when they saw us because they enjoyed our company and it's nice to know you're helping someone.
During my time there, really learned a lot about what a retirement home is like and how age affects you. I remember we used to play with them during physicaly therapy games and it was interesting to see how hard it was for them to kick a ball around a circle and how much easier it was for me and the other volunteers(however, the one thing my grandpa could do at his old age was kick a ball so high it would hit you in the face). Now, of course a retirment home is all the cliche things people say it is, but it's also much more than that and I would recommend everyone volunteer at a retirement home at some point in their life because you never know how it will change you. It's all really about bringing joy to other peoples lives.


**sorry, this is very poorly worded and all over the place, but what I'm trying to say is just volunteer at a retirement home, it's a great experience

[rierarosalie]

I work and do internship at a nursing home and it's a really thankful job.

[marjoreee]

The thumbnail is the cutest lady i have ever seen❤️

[JS-ufby]

This is so awesome. My mom has been a hospice nurse for thirty years and from her I’ve learned how important it is to care for the elderly. The littlest interactions can bring so much more joy to their days. Sit and talk with the elderly, you’d be surprised how much you’ll laugh and learn ♥️

[allicat]

My great grandma got abused by a home aide. She was 99 with dementia and they treated her like dirt. She ended up declining extremely fast and had to go into hospice in a nursing home facility. They were so lazy with her care. She passed away almost a month ago. Im glad this woman cares for her residents. Wish my grandma had the same care 😞 I miss her

[jyup]

Our elderly population is so so so important and have so much to offer