August 15, 2009

Nursing home

Nursing home is everywhere in the US of A. Even before I arrived here, I am all well aware of this facility, which cares for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Residents include the elderly and younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. Eligible adults 18 or older can stay in a skilled nursing facility to receive physical, occupational, and other rehabilitative therapies following an accident or illness.

I am saddened to have known this because for the simplest reason that I live in Philippines, who were raised in a culture that has strong family values, yet, it is completely different in USA, not that I am saying that Americans are not but because of time. I asked a friend why; she told me genuinely, that the middle-aged individuals are of sandwich of responsibilities, such as taking care of their parents and also their children, plus the fact that they are also busy working, which then inevitably, left them no choice but to have their parents be in a Nursing home. It is really heartbreaking but at the same time, I am sure they are thinking of the betterment of their parents. Moreover, I soon realized, that them living in the Nursing home, they are well taken care of.

I had my share of this experienced, as my Grandfather and Grandmother in law are both in Nursing home to which I can still vividly remember the first time that I visited them; it brought tears in my eyes. And made me think, that if I get old I wouldn’t want to be here as much as possible.

But with grandpa, I believe that he is the only person in there, who gets to be out everyday. Yes, he is out everyday. We have our schedule to pick him up; Daniel and I have him during Tuesdays and Saturdays, while my Mom in law has him Monday and Thursday and his girlfriend Fridays and Sundays. Well, I sure am happy that he is out most of the time and can do anything he wants.

In conclusion, there is nothing much I can do about the sprouting of Nursing homes, residents may live there but I fervently believe that they are not forgotten. They may not be visited everyday but that doesn’t mean that their relatives are not thinking of them. In fact, I’m sure that they are thinking of their well being.

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