Long Term Care Concerns: Disadvantages of Nursing Homes

Nursing home care is a necessity for many people around the globe. However, with funding shortages many nursing home facilities have cut corners that not only reduce the quality of care being delivered but that also put the lives of their residents at risk. Before you make plans to put a loved one in a nursing home, or before you decide that is the option you want when you get older, you need to understand the disadvantages of nursing homes.

Disadvantages of Nursing Homes - No. 1: Cost

Perhaps the number one disadvantage of nursing home care is the cost. The average cost of a basic nursing home room that is shared is about $150 a day. This means that a one year stay in a basic shared room will run you about $54,750. If both you and your spouse are required to stay in a nursing home this can put your annual expenses at well over $100,000. This is more than most people in the United States make with dual incomes and working full time. The problem with this cost is that it is expected to nearly double within the next 20 years, making it difficult if not impossible for many older people to afford nursing home care without supplemental or long term care insurance.

Disadvantages of Nursing Homes - No. 2: Loss of Independence

Another drawback of living in a nursing home is that you lose a lot of your independence. Even though you have certain rights and privileges, you are still forced to live within an institutionalized environment. You have to conform your schedule and lifestyle to the schedules, food choices and activities that the nursing home offers.

Disadvantages of Nursing Homes - No. 3: Dealing with Other Residents

The third drawback of living in a nursing home is that you have to deal with the noises and problems of the other residents in the home. You have to listen to them talk, scream, moan and you have to deal with their invading your privacy. This can be a hard fact of life to deal with when first moving to a nursing home.

Disadvantages of Nursing Homes - No. 4: Quality of Care

While there are some top notch nursing homes in the country, many nursing homes are forced to meet the needs of far more residents than they have the funding for. This means that in some cases care is less than perfect. The cleanliness of the facility can be lax, the food can be subpar, mistakes can be made in regards to the distribution of medications and residents can be left alone for long stretches of time.