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A sure sign the nursing home is not going well is: their refusal to eat, weight loss, excessive crying, etc. Since our was removed from AL and cared for by people she recognizes, she is doing well. She does go to daycare, but she loves living at (our new apartment) home. Her bedroom contains all her familiar things and she feels as though she is in her home but better, because she frequently thinks she is a a guest, she no longer worries about the bills, taxes or going to work, but she is happy and content (better than us, smile, sometimes.
Since I cook her ethnic cuisine, Austrian German, the way she did, her weight is even coming back. She looks real happy like she won the lottery. I believe that learning new things helps to build the mind and I do allow her to stretch her mind on a daily basis. I believe in education especially newly acquired knowledge and after losing my brains to a stroke, I did the same and enrolled in college, I will be graduating this May.
Also if they have never painted, painting is a cool activity that allows a different side of the brain to work and connect new neurons and even watercolors on watercolor paper is exciting, expressive and a great fun activity, under $10.
Can be done in the nursing home,if they are not too far gone.
I wish everyone great success.
My mom is not an especially happy person, she is the type where "the glass is always half empty and it has a crack in it" type. As she has aged the "crack" mindset has become fear and paranoia fueled by her dementia. She is being robbed, the food is being poisoned, etc. I've found that rather than go into the fact that it isn't happening, is to re-driect the conversation to something new. With my mom, if I hand her something (fake flowers, magazine, clothing) that seems to help to break the fear mindset. It will come back but at least for then her mind is off to something else more pleasant. Good luck and keep a sense of humor.
I had one woman who had been in 4 facilities before she came to us and I was very candid with the family before admission that she was unlikely to be any happier with us. She was not. We changed rooms, roommates,tables in the dining room and units but nothing helped. She attended lots of activities became active in the life of our little community and seemed content but she complained to her family constantly. All we could do was to provide her family with photo's of her enjoying herself so they could let go of their feelings of guilt.
You might want to talk to the nursing home and see how they think your mom has adjusted. You might also research her specific complaints and see if something can be done to alleviate some of the things that specifically bother her.
Hope this helped in some way.