Reducing the Holiday Blues in Nursing Facilities

As the holiday season quickly approaches, garland and tinsel temporarily adorning most homes, you may feel more cheerful than you have all year. We often gather with family and friends, eating, chatting, reminiscing of the past, and what our future entails. Spreading love, kindness, and cheer by giving gifts or making holiday cookies. However, there are some, specifically older adults, that have a more difficult time getting into the holiday spirit.

For many seniors, the holiday season may have a new meaning. Instead of setting out cookies and milk for Santa, or traveling to long-distance relative’s homes, the absence of these traditions may leave the holiday season seeming like a thing of the past.

These changes may result in feeling subdued or sad, which is a normal reaction to facing change and generally temporary, the person eventually returning to their normal mood state, but a case of long-term blues is not a natural part of aging. When these feelings begin interfering with functioning in everyday life, it is considered depression.

Doug Gregory, the Bereavement Coordinator for Sprenger Health Care’s WellSpring Hospice says, “The American Association of Geriatrics Psychiatry, (AAGP) indicates that over 30% of nursing home residents may experience depression which can be exasperated during the holidays due to several factors. Caregivers and facility staff should be aware of changes in behavior and mood with residents.”

Some signs of depression in older individuals may include:

• Questioning the value of life
• Diminished self-esteem
• Excessive feelings of guilt
• Reduced appetite
• Lethargy/lack of energy
• Persistent sadness
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Unusual fidgeting
• Staring off into space (or at the television) for prolonged periods of time

Depression is a medical illness that should be diagnosed and treated by trained professionals. Left untreated, depression may last months or even years.

Gregory also offered a handful of tips in dealing with seasonal depression, saying, “Some preventative measures to consider are: referrals for counseling and psychiatry, bringing in service animals, children’s choirs, and other special activities during high-risk seasons, collecting old holiday cards and decorations to hang on resident’s doors and in their rooms, encouraging family members to purchase scenic window film coverings for the resident’s room, and simply taking time to just sit or talk with these residents. It is essential to differentiate between normal sadness and clinical depression, which requires treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling, professional support can make a significant difference.”

Other things that may help a person with a case of the holiday blues:

Depression may go past just during the holiday season. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer. A sad mood is linked to lack of sunlight during the winter months due to shorter days.

It is important to note that depressive and suicidal thoughts or actions should never be ignored. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, please take action by calling your doctor, 911, visiting the nearest emergency room, or contacting nursing or therapy staff.

Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.

What Does a Nurse Practitioner Do?

This week is National Nurse Practitioner’s Week, observed from November 10^th to 17^th, 2024, and the question ‘What does a nurse practitioner do?’ is often asked. So, what better time than now to answer this!

The most commonly known healthcare roles are nurses, doctors, and therapists, but there are so many more crucial clinical and non-clinical roles that lean into the broad scope of healthcare. This week though, we want to highlight the role of our nurse practitioners! Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses with advanced training who provide patient care and can perform many of the same duties as a doctor, while also working in collaboration with physicians and other members of a healthcare team.

Nurse practitioners have completed a specified graduate degree that requires extensive classroom education along with specialized clinical experience, and who also must pass a national certification exam. They use their advanced clinical experience to diagnose and treat health conditions, focus on disease prevention, and promote healthy lifestyles, sharing many of the same responsibilities as doctors, though nurse practitioners train and provide care using the nursing model. This means that they provide patient centered care, rather than focusing on a specific type of medicine as physicians and physician assistants do. Many nurse practitioners begin their careers in healthcare as nursing assistants, LVN/LPNs, and RNs, gaining hands-on experience while they work on their advanced degrees. 

Using the practice of the nursing model, nurse practitioners can specialize in a variety of areas that correspond to a specific population. Nurse practitioners that work within a care facility setting often specialize in a few areas, including adult-gerontology nurse practitioner (AGNP), geriatric nurse practitioner (GNP), family nurse practitioner (FNP), and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP).

An adult-gerontology nurse practitioner (AGNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in the healthcare needs of adults throughout their lifespan, treating patients spanning from young-adulthood to seniors. They are trained to address physical, mental, and social effects of aging.

A geriatric nurse practitioner (GNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in providing care for older patients, ranging from their 60s to their 90s and beyond. They often treat patients who experience incontinence, dehydration, falls, physiological dysfunctions, and other conditions related to aging.

A family nurse practitioner (FNP) is an advanced practice nurse who offers care, promotes health, and treats disease in clients ranging from adolescents to seniors. They provide comprehensive wellness care, as well as the management of acute and chronic illnesses.

A psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who diagnoses and treats mental health needs and substance abuse issues, while also providing mental health services to clients and families. They often provide psychotherapy, implement behavioral interventions, and educate patients, families, and communities about mental health.

Nurse practitioners provide a full range of health care services, like performing physical examinations, ordering diagnostic tests like laboratory tests or X-rays, analyzing these test results, diagnosing health conditions, prescribing medication, and writing referrals.  

National Nurse Practitioners Week is an annual celebration of nurse practitioners and their contribution to health care. They are a crucial part of health care organizations and client care, and often dedicate their expertise, compassion, and care to improving the health and well-being of their clients. Their tireless commitment to providing high-quality, personalized healthcare makes a profound difference every day, whether that’s diagnosing, educating, or simply offering a comforting presence, their work is invaluable.  

Here at Sprenger Health Care, we are grateful for our nurse practitioner’s knowledge, skill, and unwavering dedication to enhancing lives every day. Their compassion and professionalism are truly appreciated – thank you for everything you do! 

WellSpring Home Care and Hospice

As each month commences with a theme of national recognition, Sprenger Health Care would like to elaborate on November’s topic of National Home Care and Hospice Month by featuring its own, WellSpring.

WellSpring Home Health & Hospice provide patient-focused and family-centered care to ensure patient-centered, personalized treatment(s) are offered at the highest level possible.

Home health care, just as it sounds, is care that is provided in the home to anyone who may need it, like in instances of limited mobility or education of newly prescribed medication regimens, but also specifically for those who suffer from chronic illnesses, following surgery, or are recovering from acute injury or illness and prefer to remain at home with skilled care. WellSpring’s experienced medical team of Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, Social Workers, and therapy professionals provide in-home care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Home Health is tailored to each individual’s medical needs and is for adults of any age.

WellSpring Home Health Care is a skilled, Medicare certified and accredited home health care agency dedicated to providing quality, compassionate care to patients and is readily accessible, as the team of skilled professionals visit the home, apartment, independent living, or assisted living apartment. Wherever is called home.

Hospice care, while it is care that can be provided in a person’s residence or in-facility, it is care designated for those with a life-limiting condition. Hospice care is about comfort, dignity, and peace of mind for those dealing with a condition that may no longer offer a cure. Hospice is not about giving up hope, but rather offering a quality of life that outweighs quantity of days. It is about carrying out an individual’s wishes as their trajectory of illness progresses, while managing pain and symptoms, and providing comfort. It is about maximizing a patient’s time with loved ones, and providing emotional, spiritual, and social support to patients and their families. Like home health care, hospice care is a benefit of Medicare and most private insurers. WellSpring Hospice is a Medicare certified and accredited agency, which includes one-on-one attention and quality care with frequent interdisciplinary visits and offers on call services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

WellSpring Hospice works with your Primary Care Physician alongside our Hospice Medical Directors, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Hospice Aides, Social Workers, Spiritual Care Coordinators, Volunteers, and Bereavement Coordinators to provide a holistic care approach that is patient and family centered.

WellSpring Home Health and Hospice offer services in the following Ohio counties: Ashland, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Sandusky, Stark, Summit, and Wayne.

Contact

WellSpring Home Health
3905 Oberlin Ave, Lorain, OH, 44053
Main Office / 24hr: 1-888-4WELL4U (493-5548)

WellSpring Hospice Care
3905 Oberlin Ave, Lorain, OH, 44053
Main Office / 24hr: 330-486-6092
HospiceReferrals@wellspringcaring.com