I’m so sorry. I wish I had answers for you, but sadly I don’t. Staffing in nursing facilities is usually lacking, making it even harder to ask for any “extras”.

My wants and needs are reasonably simple. I'd really love to be taken for car rides around the town I live in, perhaps with a stop at a convenience store for a Slurpee or similar. Sometimes a pizza at a sit-down pizza parlor. An hour at a park. And then the ability to chat with similarly educated people with similar values, something I've found impossible within the nursing home (I'm not at all clear why that's the case, but it is indeed the case). The nursing home management are all very nice but when I ask for help on the things I just described they all tell me they'll get back to me and never do.

It is challenging to advocate for yourself. Do you have friends that come to visit, or a friend that you have made in the facility where you live that has family that you can ask? Not sure what kind of outside support you are seeking, and yes, nursing homes are often understaffed. If there is a social worker on site (or any mental health professional) you can ask them how best to get your needs met once you target what those are. And, if have learned, that sometimes I need to reprioritize my wants to fit the situation I am in. Not always pleasant, and yet I gain peace of mind from accepting what is possible from my current situation.