My mom and dad are in a nursing home together. My mom wants her own phone. The nurses call us often. We call and visit often. Should we get her a phone?
I should not have said often for the nurses. I have been thinking she would call about every little thing, too. My sister thinks she should have one, but she lives out of town. My brother and I are trying to figure out how to get her to stop asking about the phone. Any suggestions?
I am assuming you are speaking of a "Nursing Home" versus a Board and Care or an Assisted Living. Commonly in the later residents do have their own phones in their own rooms. I know you must have asked about this at the Nursing Home? What was their answer to you. I also am curious about what sort of phone you speak of. Are you talking about a land line? Typically Nursing home rooms are quite small,and are two bed rooms. Assuming your Mom and Dad are in one room together the chance of having a land line may be good, but less good were they not together, and another resident was disturbed by calls. You might consider an easy to operate jitterbug if your Mom is capable of learning to recharge it. It is simple to use, hand held, and without a lot of extraneous things that could disturb others in the environment. Part of the difficulty is the communal living circumstances, where many residents share a small space, and common rooms. Do ask at your own facility. Do consider all the options and your parent's own abilities. Wishing you the best.
My Moms dementia was in the last stage by the time I placed her. So she didn't need a phone. My question would be why Mom feels she needs a phone? To call you, then my answer would be no. She will call you for every little thing. Can u trust her to be responsible with it? Would she bug other family members. Has she ever used a cell? If she has any mental decline I would not try to teach her.
Why do the nurses call you often? My Mom was in an AL and then a LTC facility. I was only called for emergencies, like a fall that needed hospitalization. Since you visit often, you can talk to the Nurses then about how your parents are doing. What new meds have been introduced and why. Anything else, like behaviour problems, Mom not eating, not bathing etc., should be handled by the staff. They are trained to deal with these kind of things. That is their job.
Are you asking if she can get a phone in her room by asking if anyone else's loved ones have phone in room in nursing home? Or are you asking if you should get her a cell phone? I'm just trying to make sure I understand which way ur goin with this. My aunt is in a nursing home & she use to have a cell phone until I told my grandmother that she was able to get a free phone since she's on Medicaid & my grandmother told me to cancel it & I did but now she has a just a regular phone thats connected to nursing home system. I was goin to help her get the free phone until she got mad & called me all kinds of names & blamed me for all kinds of crazy stuff.
I know you must have asked about this at the Nursing Home? What was their answer to you.
I also am curious about what sort of phone you speak of. Are you talking about a land line? Typically Nursing home rooms are quite small,and are two bed rooms. Assuming your Mom and Dad are in one room together the chance of having a land line may be good, but less good were they not together, and another resident was disturbed by calls.
You might consider an easy to operate jitterbug if your Mom is capable of learning to recharge it. It is simple to use, hand held, and without a lot of extraneous things that could disturb others in the environment.
Part of the difficulty is the communal living circumstances, where many residents share a small space, and common rooms.
Do ask at your own facility. Do consider all the options and your parent's own abilities. Wishing you the best.
Why do the nurses call you often? My Mom was in an AL and then a LTC facility. I was only called for emergencies, like a fall that needed hospitalization. Since you visit often, you can talk to the Nurses then about how your parents are doing. What new meds have been introduced and why. Anything else, like behaviour problems, Mom not eating, not bathing etc., should be handled by the staff. They are trained to deal with these kind of things. That is their job.