National Nurses Week

Nurses are an integral part of healthcare for patients at any age and in any setting. These medical professionals provide assistance to physicians and other providers, ensuring the health and safety of patients. To celebrate these important individuals, May 6-12, 2020 is National Nurses Week. This year is even more special because 2020 has been designated as “The Year of the Nurse.” Also, nurses are currently serving as our frontline healthcare heroes during the coronavirus pandemic. They are putting their patients first, providing loving care during a very difficult time. We’d like to take a moment to thank nurses for their hard work and dedication to providing compassionate care to seniors in their communities.

• Provide medications and assist in keeping track of what prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs to take at which times. This is especially important for patients who have dementia or Alzheimer’s and would not follow their treatment plans without assistance.
• Help with mobility. Many seniors require assistance getting in and out of bed and moving about their homes. These individuals may turn to nurses to help them do everything from getting into and out of the bathtub to relocating from their wheelchair to a couch.
• Arrange supervision for outside errands. Some seniors cannot drive and, therefore, need a chaperone to help them attend doctors appointments, get groceries or attend family events.
• When a resident is discharged home, nurses may also assist with teaching family members how to address certain daily medical needs, such as how to organize a medication schedule or assist someone with wound care.
• Nurses may explain stroke or heart attack symptoms, or note what family can expect as their loved one’s dementia worsens with time.