Restorative care is given to an elderly person after they have had an accident or need to work muscle groups they do not usually use. More than physical therapy, restorative care is used for emotional well being as well. The goal is to not only help a person recover from a broken bone or pulled muscle, but also to get the person to socialize and want to be part of a group. Many times, elderly people will not want to participate in social activities because they are not able to move around easily or because they are afraid to make new friends.
Walking with an elderly person up and down the hallway for ten or fifteen minutes a day is usually enough for them to stretch muscles and interact with others. For many older people, sitting all day becomes a natural part of life. But this can have negative side effects including muscle atrophy, weight gain, and depression. Simply walking with an elderly person is enough to spark brain activity and keep the muscles alert.
For those who cannot walk, restorative care is given by pushing a person who is in a wheelchair around the facility so that they are visit friends or meet new people. Many times exercises are given which includes moving the leg muscles up and down so that the muscles remain active. The attention paid to residents is very special to them. They will hopefully want to take part in activities and will look forward to spending a few minutes each day exercising and visiting with other residents.
Unfortunately, nursing home food is usually pretty lousy. Since budgets are tight, most nursing homes cannot afford to buy the best quality products. Buying food in bulk usually means sacrificing taste. Another reason why nursing home food is not great is because many people in the nursing homes are on restricted diets that limit the amount of sugar, salt, and fat they can have. This means flavor cannot be added to the food.
Many nursing homes rely on spices to give the food more flavor. But even then, they must be careful about how much they put and the kinds they use. Nursing homes cannot serve five-star meals. Most meals are prepared using simple recipes to produce meals that will feed sixty or more.
When visiting a nursing home, look at the food as it comes out. Presentation is very important when serving a meal. If the meal does not look appetizing, the elderly person will not eat it. Although the food will taste a little bland, there is little an elderly person can do except add a little salt if they are allowed to. As people age, their taste buds begin to lose their ability to distinguish flavors. This is made worse by the fact that the food served has very little taste.
In nursing homes, the dietary staff must also follow strict cooking guidelines such as cooked eggs, and temperatures for the meat. There are no rare steaks served in nursing homes. The elderly can get sick much more often and they can get more food borne illnesses than younger people. While the food may not be the greatest, it is usually healthy.
