My experience as a nursing home resident has been a positive one

As it is Nursing Homes Week this week, I wanted to tackle the misconception that often appears in the media that we in nursing homes ‘sit around in a circle gazing into space’.

I lived in my home for many years and finally ‘wound up’ here in Nazareth House, when my memory clock stopped ticking.

All was going well at home until I forgot to eat breakfast and dinner and it ended up with my tea times being spent relaxing in bed or on the couch lost in a book. I always loved reading and had now become “fiction” myself as I was totally off the rails and living in another world!

So, my family decided it was time to ‘unload me’ and get me ‘anchored’. That is how I ‘wound up’ in Nazareth House Nursing Home. Oh!!!! But the laugh is on them! I used to do the housework, the cooking and all that boring stuff until I came here. Have you ever been to a luxury hotel? You have?

Well the food here is every bit as good but there is a bonus, because here I am a lady of leisure, with wonderful staff at my beck and call and my new home is like one of those stately homes the tourists pay into when visiting Ireland.

If they came here they would be gobsmacked.

What do we do with our spare time you ask?

There is no spare time.

If we are not out touring or having a singsong or quiz or making something in art and crafts, then there is the drama class where we improvise, fantasise and are game to handle anything that is thrown at us. Here’s an anecdote:

In the drama class I was to have a tiff with the lady beside me. I told her exactly what I thought of her – it was all in fun and I was earnestly fulfilling my role. However she did not take it all sitting down! I got a good strong dose of my own medicine, as the drama tutor edged around, keeping a rein on things. My goodness, it was such fun.

Here I am living in my 80s in a great place with all the days spinning past.

We are definitely the chosen few and you can add a few pluses to that. Then take your hats off to the young people of today who are looking after we ”old ones” of yesterday.

Eileen Kerr (Resident)

Nazareth House Nursing Home

Malahide Road

Dublin 3