If you are like me you get along with children and the elderly and you love to hang out with them. Do not worry you are not weird, I think it is just a female kind of thing. So while I was in college, I changed my major three different times but thankfully it was real close together so it still only took me five years to complete a bachelor program.

While I was changing my major, I considered being a school teacher but thought about it and thought best if I did not become one. I do not believe I would handle it well when I saw so many parent’s just not caring about their children. What I did decide on was a healthcare administration degree.  

So, I did the hours of internship that is required. I double majored even, I did acute care and long term care. I had to do two different internships. It was many hours but well worth it. Dong my internship in a long term care facility otherwise known as a nursing home opened my eyes up to things I had never seen before. It allowed me to see how a nursing home actually runs and it truly is amazing.  

When you go into a nursing home even for just a visit all you see are the nurses and they are the first faces you see in most cases. However, there is so much more that happens than just that. In fact, nursing homes do not get enough credit for all the work that is done there.  

Activities 

This is the elderly’s ending home. They are more than likely never going to leave this place in less it is a short term facility as well which I will explain that in a minute. Anyways, nobody likes to just sit around and do nothing. They want to be able to wonder, they want to be able to see people, they want something to do during the day, and they want entertainment. After all, they are paying good money to be there. Hence, activities is an essential part of the nursing home that not every visitor sees.

The activities department is responsible for activities that might occur like game day, putting together some sort of class that the majority want like an exercise class or knitting class, they are responsible for putting together games like balloon tennis, and they are in charge of putting together church services and guest speakers. They are basically in charge of making the people feel good during the day.  

Social Work 

Social workers are one of the first people that knows if someone new is coming and they are responsible for meeting with the new person within a certain amount of time. Normally that time is 24 to 48 hours after their arrival. Social workers are responsible for checking in on all residents at the nursing home and they are the ones that does family visits. Family visits are basically to let the family members know what is going on with their aging parents, aunts or uncles, grandparents, whoever it might be. They are responsible for knowing what kind of mood someone is in and how to lift their spirits up. They are also responsible for helping people transition back home from the facility, if that is even an option. Social workers in a nursing home truly have a difficult job.

Business Manager

The business manager is the one who basically works with people and their insurance before arrival. They check with insurance for insurance approval and they work closely with the insurance companies on a weekly, two weeks, monthly, or every three month basis. It all depends on what the resident’s insurance requires them to do. They have to send to the insurance company updates on how the resident is doing. Basically, they are in charge of the financials of the resident’s stay.

Maintenance 

It is important for maintenance to know their job well. One may not think that maintenance matters so much, but they do. They are what keep the facility looking sharp and inviting. Who wants to live in a run-down home? I know I sure do not want to so why should the residents of a nursing home? They should not. Maintenance is responsible for taking beds out or lowering beds, they help get rooms ready as old residents leave a room and a new one comes in. I think of them as the back bone of the nursing home.

Laundry, Cooks, and Hairdressers 

You would not think about how important this is, but it is. Nobody wants to be going around in smelly clothes and if they are in a nursing home more than likely they are not able to do their own laundry, cook, and many never knew how to cut their own hair. These staff members are an essential part of the team to help the residents feel of self-worth.

Nursing Manager and Administrator 

These two jobs work together very closely. Their job is to look over the entire nursing facility. It is to ensure that everything runs smoothly and staff does their job correctly. These two have the final say over whether someone comes or goes and it is not an easy decision to make. Unfortunately the decision is mostly made up of numbers. The facility has to be able to make a profit off of the person coming in. If these two do not see a profit than generally speaking they decline the person’s stay.

Nutrition Services 

The nutrition service manager aids in the care of nutritional needs of the residents. They come up with an individual plan for each of the residents coming in. They ensure meals are prepared for each individual properly every day.

Rehab 

It is important for the elderly to stay active. Therefore, nursing home facilities usually have the majority of their resident’s doing some type of rehab just to keep them active. When your body stops working so does your mind, in my opinion. Rehab has a tasking job because some residents are stubborn and will not do the work that is required for them to stay in the rehab program.

You may enjoy reading my post about how to deal with aging.