I'm still here. Words said to me by a 90 year old lady recently when I visited her in the nursing home.
Clearly she was still there, and she seemed not too unhappy about it as the comment was accompanied by a wry smile and a nod. Downstairs from her another lady, ten years her senior, had recently suffered a stroke and was nearing the end of her life, peacefully, thankfully and I just paused to think that perhaps a nursing home with good quality care and staff who see the residents as individuals and real people, is not such a bad place to be for the twilight years. In this case, there is always company, there is warmth, comfort, good food, care at different levels from the hand held to the bath assisted to the management of symptoms of pain, sickness or any distress by dedicated clinical staff. Relatives and friends can come and go, even pets are welcome and entertainment is a regular weekly event. Not so bad then. Loss of independence, but do we attach as much weight to that as we reach our 80's and 90's or rather appreciate the care and security offered above the freedom to fall over, overdose on our medication or forget to take it, forget to eat, keep ourselves clean and dry and maintain our own environment. I'll take it I think, if I get that far. I wouldn't wish it on one of my sons to have to wipe my bum or scrape food off my face. I'll take it, if I can afford it and if anyone still does it properly by the time I need it. Good places are becoming more rare and more expensive and there is less incentive for business people to build, staff and manage such places. Perhaps we need a better system? Superior quality nursing and residential homes could go a long way towards keeping people well and out of hospital and should not be seen as the last chance saloon for the decrepit and infirm. Maybe.
