You may have the best recovery plan for your ailing parents, but are they in agreement or are they holding it against you?
You love your parents and want the best for them. You understand that if they have a health condition, they need optimum treatment to recover completely or manage their condition efficiently. After a lot of deliberation, you decide that a continuum care or rehabilitative facility would be ideal for them to spend a few months or maybe more to help them cope with their condition. You are convinced but most often they aren’t.
Susheela Nag a 45-year-old marketing executive from Bengaluru says it was vital for her mom to stay in a facility for rehab after a hip replacement surgery for her to regain her strength and recover well. Susheela knew that she would never be able to arrange the level of expertise and specialized care her mom would receive at the facility, at home. But after all the formalities were done, susheela’s mom refused to get admitted.
Tyagraj a 53-year-old sales manager at an MNC in Bengaluru, underwent an open heart surgery in 2023. The doctor advised him to undergo cardiology rehab to recover. However, Tyagraj’s wife refused to let him be admitted. She insisted on a nurse at home.
These are only some of the instances when people have refused to undergo rehab after surgery or a chronic health condition and stay at a continuum care facility. However, many more older adults are not very open to the idea of staying at a facility for recovery or disease management.
We spoke to a few of them and the reasons they gave were very insightful. They might help you to understand their state of mind and perspective better. We have also gone a step ahead to help you with some counterpoints to convince your parents if required.
Reason #1
The elders feel that they are unwanted at home by their families and loved ones, hence they are being sent away to a facility on the pretext of recovery. Once they are admitted their families won’t bother to come and visit them often and abandon them at the mercy of other caretakers.
Family members love and care for their parents and hence want them to be admitted to a continuum of care facility so that they can recover well and resume their normal lives as soon as possible.
Reason #2
Some parents expressed their fear of losing charge after being sent away from home. “I have been running this household for over 20 years now,” says Nafeesa Kharawala, a 55-year-old homemaker from Mysore. “With me gone who will look after the house and the daily chores?” Although Nafeesa has three daughters-in-law, she still insists on running the house her way as she is convinced that she has more experience and expertise to do so.
Being in good health enables a person to be in charge and at the helm of family affairs to run the show effectively.
Reason #3
Some elders feel that facilities don’t offer the same loving and personalized care that can be offered by loved ones at home. They are convinced that the nurses and caretakers are not as caring and gentle enough while taking care. They are hesitant to be left at the mercy of unknown people.
Continuum care facilities hire only trained nurses, and very sensitive caregivers, to look after the patrons in the best possible way enabling them to recover optimally.
Reason #4
Most older adults feel that continuum care facilities are very expensive. The amount charged is much more than what the cost would be if they were to receive the treatment at home.
If calculated, the individual costs of doctors, therapists, nutritionists, and other services amount to much more than the cost of the stay at the facility which includes additional services like laundry, and multiple other therapies that help a person heal better. Moreover, all the services are available under one roof avoiding the wastage of time, effort, and money.
Reason #5
Some elders assume that the conditions at the facility are unhygienic and they would contract more infections and diseases staying among other people who are unwell. The food is not as good as homecooked and they would find it very difficult to adapt to new surroundings outside their comfort zone.
Hygiene is given top priority at the continuum care facilities and the health professionals are trained and skilled to ensure that infections don’t spread and the people admitted are safe and protected. Well-trained chefs are employed to cook delicious and nutritious meals at the facility that are planned by qualified dietitians.
Continuum care facilities ensure that the ambiance is homely and warm so that people feel comfortable and relaxed.
