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The patient-centered nursing home of the future |
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Recently, I did some reading about the latest in elder-centered options within “alternative” nursing homes like The Eden Alternative. It made me realize that, traditionally, we have taken choice for granted when elders enter a clinically focused facility. Elders, once in a nursing home and under the care of nurses, largely have choices made for them; I’m thinking in particular of food choices — healthful food choices, strict diets for diabetics, etc. This occurs, ironically, after a lifetime of personal decision-making on their part. Many of us carry around some extra pounds that we know we shouldn’t. Perhaps we eat cake when ideally a piece of fruit would be better for us. Just because an elder now resides in a nursing home, should the ability to make such choices be abandoned? Perhaps presenting the pros and cons, and letting the elder decide – as he or she always has – makes more sense.>
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Tags: care facility, eldercare, nursing homes