You may be concerned about taking your child with you to visit someone in a nursing home. Especially with the rise of abuse claims by nursing home staff, including veteran abuse. However, if you take proper precautions then it can be no riskier than visiting any other public place. 

Furthermore, your child and your loved one in the nursing home must have the opportunity to bond with each other and make one another happy. Research shows that people in nursing homes can often feel isolated. Children can have a positive impact on your loved one and probably the other residents too. They are likely in the home because they have some medical difficulties – you don’t want to miss out on the chance for them to spend time together. Here we will explore the risks involved and how to mitigate them. 

Risk of illness

Nursing homes can spread illness, as lots of people are living in close proximity to each other and they may have weakened immune systems. Such illnesses can be dangerous to both elderly people and small children. 

Make sure that everyone who is visiting the home is healthy so that they don’t bring in any diseases to the residents. On the flip side, you may also want to check that no illnesses are going around the home before you visit. 

If you have a newborn baby then it is probably a good idea to wait a few months so that their immune system has matured and they have had their first lot of vaccinations. Illnesses such as whooping cough sometimes appear in nursing homes and can be very serious for young babies. 

Phone ahead

It is always a good idea to phone ahead and speak to the staff before you visit. They can tell you if there have been any illnesses or if there is anything else you need to be aware of. They might have some difficult residents who they could ensure are preoccupied somewhere else when you visit. 

You can also share any concerns that you have with them. If you have a new baby you may want to ask if you can visit your loved one from their private room or in the garden to reduce any risks. Getting them outside is always a good option. You could even ask the staff to get your loved one ready to go out and take them to a nearby café if they are able. 

Keep a close eye

You will need to keep a close eye on your child and stop them from running off. 

If you are bringing a baby, then consider bringing them in a strap that you can wear. This will lessen the number of people who ask to hold or touch the baby. Try and stop this as much as you can. 

You may also want to bring hand sanitizers for after your visit. 

Bring activities

Bring toys for your child to play with so that they are not tempted to run off or cause any disturbance. Try and make the visit a fun one. 

You may even want to bring something which your baby and your loved one can do together


Vicky Charles

Vicky is a single mother, writer and card reader.

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