How to Keep Nursing Home Residents Healthy

Operating a nursing home is a challenging job, especially when you have a large number of residents.

Arguably, the toughest part of the job is keeping residents healthy. After all, you’re largely responsible for:

• What they eat
• How they sleep
• How they feel on a day-to-day basis

Plus, residents or their family members are usually paying substantial fees for them to stay with you, which means there’s added pressure to do a good job. If you struggle to keep residents healthy and active, then they will simply switch to another nursing home.

With that said, this blog is going to address the best ways in which you can keep nursing home residents healthy. All of these tips are super easy to understand, so start reading when you’re ready.

Have activity days

During the week, at least a few days should be dedicated to activities. Some examples include:

• Walking
• Sing alongs
• Gardening
• Reading club
• Painting and drawing sessions

These types of activities help to ensure that patients remain physically and mentally active, which is key to their overall health.

Sure, there will be some days where patients just want to sit and rest, but there will be others where they want to be up and active.

Also, don’t forget that you can hire music artists and comedians to come in and perform for your nursing home residents every week or so. This will give them something to look forward to and will prevent their routines from becoming boring.

Buy all the supplies you need

During these times, a nursing home cannot function properly without nursing home supplies.

From mobility equipment to toiletries, there are many different types of supplies that you need to stock up on. This is important for several reasons:

• It prevents shortages
• Residents will be more healthy
• You can take on new residents more quickly

As an owner, it’s your responsibility to order all the supplies you need. Generally, you should order above what you actually need so that you don’t get caught out by any future disasters or lockdowns.

Hire a chef

Many nursing homes hire a chef to cook for their residents. This is a much better alternative than serving up microwave meals every day. Your chef should provide residents with a healthy balance of meals designed to keep residents happy.

Also, make sure to ask residents what type of meals they would like.

Conduct regular health checks

The nurses you hire should be under instructions to perform regular health checks on your residents, such as blood pressure testing. This will help to identity any residents who perhaps have underlying health conditions that need to be looked at by a doctor.

Also, you should regularly communicate with your residents to ask them how they’re feeling. Through an open dialogue, they will be able to tell you if they think they have any problems that might need addressing.

Remember, the more comfortable they are with you, the more willing they will be to discuss their health!