- Introduction
Seniors are an important segment of society. This is because they are the men and women that come before us and in most cases are our close relatives. In most cases, elders have contributed to the social, political, and economic successes of our country. As a way of thanking these old men and women who dedicated themselves in the service of their countries in different fields, it is important to make sure that they are subjected to relaxed lives so that they can enjoy their last retirement days. Despite all the outline facts being true in most cases, the fact remains that there is a reasonable segment of society that does not treat elders in the right way. Some elders are subjected to difficult living environments such that they spend their last days in a lot of agony. In some cases, it is not the fault of the families that are supporting these elders but it is as a result of the lack of understanding of the care-takers of these elders (Sember, 2003, p.29). One thing that is worth noting is that the elder resources that are allocated to this segment of society determines the fact whether they are going to spend their last days happily or they are going to remain in agony till their death. This paper seeks to compare and contrast three elder resources by looking at the cons and pros that are associated with the resources.
- Nursing Home/facilities
Despite nursing homes being a good solution for many working families, the fact remains that this plan has both pros and cons. First, let us look at the pros that are associates with nursing homes. Nursing homes reduce the loneliness that elders might endure at home. This is because they in most case might be left by their working families at home due to the fact that their care takers have to attend other chores. In nursing homes elders are able to interact with other people of their age who share the same stories and at the same experiences in life. In this way the old people cannot suffer from loneliness because they are in the company of their peers. Secondly, nursing homes provide closer attention to the seniors who are taken it their facilities. This would involve medical attention. Considering the fact that seniors are more susceptible to illnesses and other ailments due to their weak immune system, there is a need to keep seniors in places where they can access quick medical aid and checkup constantly.
In addition nursing homes also save the families of the seniors the agony of being concerned about the safety of their loved senior while they are at work. This is because in most cases seniors are not able to take care of themselves. In many incidences seniors end up hurting themselves for example through falling on stairs or burns as they try to conduct various activities in their lives. Despite all these advantages associated with nursing homes, there are a couple of cons that are associated with nursing homes as resources for seniors. One of the key things to bear in mind is the fact that nursing homes are started for commercial purposes. This means that seniors might at times not be treated with the respect and care that they deserve. This is in some instances instigated by the fact that more profits are ploughed with the admission of more seniors(Nora,2004, p.44) This would often lead to the congestion of nursing homes creating health hazards for seniors. In addition nursing homes might at times be perceived by seniors as a senior of neglect because in some cases seniors would like to be looked after by their own children.
- Companion/primary care-giver
The second option is the companion or in some cases primary care givers. In this situation, it works well for seniors who want to take care of themselves and those who want to lead independent lives. In addition, this resource allows seniors to remain in their homes where they are used to instead of going to nursing homes or other facilities (Matthews, 2002, p.34). The cons of having this type of senior resource care is that it can expensive in case the caregiver has to attend some other works or if in some cases the caregiver falls ill and is not in the position of taking care of the senior. It is also worth to forget that some seniors reject the idea of having strangers in the house to take care of them. This in some cases can complicate the care giving service to the senior.
- Telephone Call Assurance
The third important senior resource is the telephone call assurance. This is a resource that works in such a way seniors remain independent but an automatic telephone system is used to contact seniors regularly to ascertain whether the senior take their medication as prescribed and also to confirm whether they are okay(Hogan, 2010, p.57). The advantage of this resource is that it makes thing easier for family members of the senior because they do not have to constant watch their parents or elderly relatives. In addition, depending on the health conditions of the senior the calling schedules can be adjusted so as to meet the needs of these seniors. The disadvantage with this system is that some seniors are physically impaired such that they cannot hear or respond to a phone call
Bibliography
Hogan, Paul, and Lori Hogan. Stages of senior care: your step-by-step guide to making the best decisions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
Matthews, J. L. Choose the right long-term care: home care, assisted living and nursing homes. 4th ed. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2002. Print.
Nora, James J. What every senior needs to know about health care. Boulder, Colo.: University Press of Colorado, 2004. Print.
Sember, Brette McWhorter. The complete legal guide to senior care. Naperville, Ill.: Sphinx Pub, 2003. Print.
