Once again we get to another holiday that can be bittersweet for the residents of a nursing home. Father’s Day usually does not get quite the same excitement and fan fare as Mother’s Day. It can however be joyful or a sad time for our residents and family.
As a percentage there are less Fathers in a Nursing home
Unfortunately when you look at the statistics, women usually out live men in the general population. This can easily account for the higher percentage of males versus females in a Nursing home.
There is also a higher percentage of women who work in a nursing home. This can also account for a decrease in overall activity and production involved.
Father’s day can still bring multiple emotions
For some this is still a very happy holiday as they are able to celebrate their Dads in the nursing home. It can be a chance for families to come in and spend more time and interaction with their loved one.
For some residents this can also be a sad time if the family is too far away and unable to visit, they can feel left out and alone.
Sometimes it can be a sad moment for the female residents as well
Having the Father’s day celebration can be a difficult time for some of the female residents of the facility. It could be sadness of not being able to see their husband due to medical issues or difficulties with travel.
It could also be a time of grieving as they and their families remember those that had passed on previously.
So what do we do as therapists?
We need to be compassionate and be intune with the emotions that our residents are expressing. This can manifest in multiple ways including poor motivation or just”not feeling well”.
We need to be encouraging and get them involved again that following Monday to refocus on their primary goal of getting better. With the right focus it might even be more of a motivation to push harder to get home with the right approach. We need to utilize our skills and listening skills to give them the push that they need. They will be better off from it.
