The truth is, the majority of us want to remain living in our own homes our entire lives and with the help of Government funded home care packages, that’s very possible. But what if you do get to the point where you or a loved one need a greater level of care or daily living assistance? Or perhaps you have complex health needs and your spouse is your primary carer, however they pass on and you find yourself living alone.

When the unexpected happens, what can you expect when you move into a nursing home, or as they are more commonly referred to these days, a residential aged care home? You will be pleased to hear over recent years the majority of aged care providers have moved away from a shared room/shared bathroom environment to single rooms with ensuites. That’s great news for the privacy of residents, families and visitors. More and more modern aged care homes are architecturally designed with stylish interiors and furnishings, garden areas and lifestyle programs to keep seniors active and engaged.

Whilst the staff are there to provide assistance with your care and health needs, it’s important loved ones aren’t placed in residential homes and forgotten about. At Anglican Care we encourage family members to share the care of their loved one with frequent visits and trips out and about if possible. Even overnight stays with family are welcome.

Jacqui Culver, Anglican Care’s Nurse Practitioner advises “It’s important that family assist their loved one to orientate themselves with their new home. It’s a big change and if family members can visit often during those first few weeks, they can make a huge difference to their loved ones transition to new routines, offering them comfort and support as they get to know the facility layout, the staff and other residents.”

The average age of seniors in care has changed significantly as we are living longer. Nowadays seniors remain independent at home for longer and make the move into a nursing home in their 80’s and 90’s. Generally speaking these seniors have fairly high care needs, thus modern day homes have the benefits of highly skilled nursing staff, the very best level of clinical care and in some cases, dementia specific wings and therapies, even hair salons. So what happens beyond providing you with quality care, a nice environment and having your basic needs met? How do homes ensure their residents have the very best quality of life, wherever they might be on life’s journey?

“At Anglican Care it’s all about providing a fun and vibrant community where our residents are able to remain connected socially, whilst ensuring they can come and go from their home as they please. Our Lifestyle and Wellbeing programs encourage seniors to enjoy their hobbies and develop new interests too”, said Jane Meldrum, Anglican Care’s Lifestyle, Wellbeing and Diversity Manager. “It’s not at all unusual to see our residents out at concerts, enjoying art and music, surfing the net on their iPad – or even going head to head on the xBox Kinect playing ten pin bowling with friends.”

Just like the move to any new home, making the move into a residential aged care home (nursing home) requires research and consideration. Jacqui advises you start the conversations with spouses or ageing parents early. Research and get to know your local homes, meet the staff, discover what they provide and their care philosophy and build upon your knowledge of the aged care system. Then, should a crisis arise or health needs change, you and your loved ones have an understanding of your options.

“Knowledge gives comfort”, says Jacqui.

Anglican Care offers ten homes across the Hunter, Mid and Central Coast, find a home that suits you.