5 Reasons Why Nurses Are So Important
5 Reasons Why Nurses Are So Important
The theme of 2019 National Nurses Week is “Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit.” We celebrate all nurses, especially our nurses, Julie and Donna. They are the heart of our personalized care programs! We thank them and all nurses who lead the charge for health and wellness.
Growing older can be hard for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. Having a balance between mind, body and spirit is important for all of us, especially for seniors. When one of these areas begins to diminish, the others areas suffer as well. We can thank nurses who are on the front lines of health care, working with older patients, for their diligent effort. Nurses will try to prevent illness, facilitate healing, alleviate suffering and advocate for their patients and families. Having a nurse available to provide care and comfort for a loved one can give family members a sense of relief.
Since nurses do so much to help improve the well-being of their patients, are there enough of them to handling an aging American population?
Here are some nursing statistics you may not know:
- More than 500,000 RNs (Registered Nurses) will retire by 2022, according to the American Nurses Association
- One million RNs are needed by 2022 to avoid a nursing shortage
- The need for RNs will grow by at least 11 percent each year through 2022
- Currently there are 1.5 million CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants) in the United States
- The need for CNAs will grow by 21 percent in the next decade
As you can see, there are millions of nurses in the United States today and millions more needed in the next 5 to 10 years. It is no coincidence that this growth is occurring at the same time as Baby Boomers reach their senior years. The services that nurses will provide to these seniors in hospitals, rehab facilities, adult day care centers like Naperville Senior Center Adult Day Services, assisted living and nursing facilities, and private homes could be the difference between a high versus low quality of life.
We want to be sure that our Members get the best care possible when they are with us, which is why we have physical therapists and nurses working at Naperville Senior Center. We have the BEST. NURSES. EVER!
Thanks to Donna, Julie, Tootz, and all of the nurses for their continued dedication to their patients
As our nurse Donna said, “The best part of being a nurse at Naperville Senior Center is assisting our Members’ healthy aging and quality of life. They are like family to us. We educate, support, and encourage them, and have fun together!” She added, “I go home with a smile every day and look forward to the next day, and I think our Members do too.”
We couldn’t agree more! Thank you to Donna, Julie, Tootz, and all of the nurses for their continued dedication to their patients.
We provide our Members with a host of activities to provide mental and physical stimulation, such as socialization, verbalization, improvisation, evangelization, visualization, exercise, and other fun activities.
Call to action: to learn more about how NSC can provide a respite for you and a great social environment for your loved one, contact us at 630.857.3017. You can also schedule a tour to see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
Receive Peace of Mind.
*** No obligation! ***
Learn more about Naperville Senior Citizen services and upcoming events.
Grandparents Day is coming up on Sunday, September 8th this year. In 1978, Grandparents Day was created by federal proclamation in order to honor grandparents and to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children. Notice that this proclamation flows both ways – honoring grandparents and grandparents showing love for their grandchildren.
Improved Mood: When you played make-believe as a child, weren’t you happy and carefree? As an adult, you will have those same feelings. It’s fun to not have structure sometimes and just be free to act how you want (well, within reason…). A little make-believe and your older loved one will feel better and maybe, for a little while, forget about other things that might be aching.
Help your mom with projects around her house. Does your mom need a room painted, a carpet cleaned or a banister tightened? If you are capable, help her fix things that are broken or just in need of repair. If her house is in better condition, she will feel better. And you will have some time together with her in the process.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
A Sense of Purpose. One of the things that older people miss the most once they retire or become ill is a sense of purpose. They need a reason to get up in the morning! Spending day after day at home alone waiting for family or friends to come by can be isolating. Your loved one could be at risk of developing depression. Enrolling them in senior day care can restore a sense of purpose to their lives and give them a reason to be excited about getting up every day.
Nutrition. Adult Day Care also benefits an individual’s nutrition. Many seniors end up not cooking nutritious meals for themselves because they don’t want to eat alone. Sometimes they just don’t want to make a full meal for themselves. In addition, they may not feel confident using the stove or cooking with heavy pots and pans. When your loved ones attend adult day care, they are getting at least one nutritious meal each day and eating in the company of others.
Mental Stimulation. Seniors need mental stimulation and often they don’t get enough. Activities, crafts, trips, and just being around other people can help your loved ones exercise their mental muscles. This helps them stay sharp and alert for longer periods of time. Studies have shown that seniors who don’t receive enough social interaction lose their mental faculties at a much faster rate than seniors who have strong social ties and get out of the house for activities and social occasions on a regular basis.
When the kids were little in the Cooper household, we would hide the little plastic eggs filled with candy, goldfish, other treats and coins. The kids would start at the top of the stairs and Mike would video them as they ran down the steps to the room with the eggs. It was very fun watching their search tactics change as they grew older. However, we would only let them have a couple pieces of candy before Mass. There was no room for kids with too much sugar during the celebration of the Risen Lord!
SPAIN: There are many processions through the streets of towns in Spain at night to celebrate Easter. The ‘floats’ have decorated figures, covered in gold, silver or beautiful cloth, telling the Easter story. These floats are carried by 40 or 50 people through the procession, which can last 4 – 5 hours.