Sunday, May 05, 2019

Nursing home in istanbul

Elderly at Nursing home in Istanbul

My father stays in a nursing home, I  visit him frequently  in his single room.
He is old, Physically weakened, he has difficulty to walk, his movements are slowed, he goes often to the toilet. However, his mind is solid, he is reading daily newspaper of his preference, he is following local political agenda, he is watching news from the TV in his room, listening to trt3 classical music programs.
He watches everthing around himself very carefully and records them in his mind.
He's classifying everyone with respect to himself. He's telling me a hard times of the past he had with himself, he remembers old times and giving specific places and names. He is eating simple special meal for the elderly.
His meal  comprises simple soup, boiled vegetables, cauliflower bean, leek, then rice - rice or bulgur- or pasta, finally yogurt. Together we drink tea without sugar. I read him loud newspaper articles.
Home staff is taking him to other seniors on the -1 floor while I'm away,
There are mostly elderly with Alzheimers. Here staff  calls them "sick". There are unresponsive old people looking empty.
There is a former professor of physics, since I know his name I searched through googlr,  he has a doctorate degree  fro. Britain, he eas the department chairman in the university. He has worked in high-level public institutions, he has written a lot of scientific papers, now sits unresponsive in the TV room, lives like a dream.
There is another social scientist woman professor, her mind has gone completely, unresponsive. She is Watching Trt music Tv program with empty eyes.
She sits in the corner chair quiet.
There is a very rich businessman who owns a bus business in his younger years.
His children are stopping by the occasional at weekends. There's no money here, no wealth, nothing.
There is an old man who stayed in the US for many years. He is brought here since it is cheaper look after here. His children will pay  here half the US nursing home care services. Nobody's been visiting him for 2 years. The man forgets where he is and he starts to speak english, nobody understands, the staff doesn't know english. The man speaks English, explains his desperation. He was obviously earning good money in the US by the time, he's got insurance, he had income, but instead of paying more money in the US, they left behind here where they would pay more reasonable.
There is another group of normal elderly people, they are staying at +3th floor single rooms, they come together at the +4 floor, wood painting together, and they are doing chat activities.
Among them there is a retired ambassador who speaks very good English and French. He served in Newyork, Riyadh, Accra and  in many other important centers in his youth. The ambassador is physically intact, dressed up nicely, but experiencing some dementia. He has difficulty of hearing, having the difficulty of remembering the names, difficulty in choosing the appropriate words while talking. He has ripples, he reads a daily newspaper of his choice, he watches tv listens to classical local radio, he goes out and walks around on a daily little trip. He has no money in his pocket, just socialising , no way to shop.
There is another lady who happens to be an late ambassador's wife, she has difficulty in bodily movement, but her mind is intact, she is participating in wood painting activities at the +4 floor.
There is an old man in the room next to my father, he sits in his room, if he can get permission he comes out of the building at front door to chat with people.
Nursing home has well trained young hard-working, knowledgeable, helpful staff. Home has capable experienced husband-wife owner- operators. It is not easy to solve the problems of more than 50+ elderly, caring them, caring their health, shelter, caring their  nutrition,. The staff are young most of them are from south eastern provinces. Here they work at minimum wage. Friendly, well-intentioned, long-term work is not easy work  to care seniors.
If the elderly health is good, if his/her mind is good, it is relatively easy to survive. however if his/her mind is turbulent and his health is not so good when everything gets harder,  it is not easy to ask anything from the staff, then it is the difficult times for the elderly. The daily visit and care  of  the elderly relatives gets important.
My late mother had speech difficulties occurred due to calcification in the brain vessels in her last year, she gave short answers to questions, everyone thought she was suffering from dementia, but probably she could see - hear - feel - understand everything around herself, but she couldn't talk.
The life of elderly  people in the nursing home is not so easy, however the situation of those who are forgotten is more difficult.
Life begins, ends in a way, there is no going back.
This beautiful gift given by the Creator should be spent in the best way possible.

Prinkipo, May 5, 2019

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