If your elderly loved one struggles with feelings of isolation and loneliness, companion care could provide invaluable relief. Companions are available to accompany them on walks, run errands for them and attend community gatherings or meetings as needed.
Companions provide crucial services, from driving them to appointments and monitoring their safety, to creating genuine bonds between themselves and their clients over time.
Keeping in Touch
If you’re unsure what type of care your loved one needs, start by asking friends and family members who’ve had experience with companion services. You can also check out the options offered by community organizations and local businesses.
Aside from assisting seniors with non-medical daily living tasks, senior companions help them stay socially and physically active. They may join them for meals, play games, walk around the neighborhood, relive treasured memories or simply chat.
A primary goal of companionship services is to alleviate loneliness and isolation. While many other types of care focus on medical or physical needs, loneliness has a major impact on a person’s quality of life. This makes it a critical area to address. Unlike other care services, companions offer warm and empathetic support that fosters a genuine friendship. This bond helps reduce depression, high blood pressure and even the onset of dementia. It’s a vital part of caring for your elderly family member.
Socialization
Socialization is one of the key elements of senior care. Seniors need to feel connected with others whether living independently or within an assisted living facility, since isolation can be dangerous or even deadly.
Companions can help seniors meet other elders through socialization activities hosted at facilities, communities or by friends and family members. They provide friendly presence as well as security.
Companions for elderly clients can help take them for walks, play card or board games with them and listen to stories, as well as transport them to local senior centers, healthcare and therapy appointments and activities. If they don’t have transportation, companions may assist them in planning a schedule for the week or arrange car rides when necessary; additionally they may assist with daily tasks like bathing and dressing as well as prepare meals together before sharing in eating them with their client.
Transportation
In order to stay active and connected with loved ones, seniors often need reliable transportation services. Highly trained Comfort Keepers caregivers can provide the mobility needed to attend community events, run errands, visit friends and family members and visit healthcare professionals.
A professional elderly companion can provide non-medical assistance with daily activities, including bathing, dressing and eating, explains Karpilow. They can also assist with ambulation, which helps clients walk more regularly, improve their circulation and continue to function in their homes when they’re not feeling well.
When choosing a senior companion, look for someone who can offer emotional support and a warm connection that staves off loneliness and depression. Ideally, ask for referrals from trusted friends who have used a companion in the past or from family members who have hired their own personal care providers. Then, make a list of your loved one’s specific needs and preferences. This will help you narrow your search and choose the best companion for your needs.
Safety
Loneliness is a major health concern for older adults, and it is linked to a number of other conditions and diseases, including heart disease, obesity, depression, dementia, perceived stress, and chronic inflammation. Fortunately, combating loneliness can help seniors feel better and live longer.
Companion care is non-medical in-home care that provides social, emotional and physical support to aging adults, seniors and disabled individuals, Miner says. It is typically scheduled hourly, daily or weekly and may be arranged through home care agencies or privately hired caregivers. In either case, companions should receive training and certification in first aid and CPR before starting work.
Agencies provide backup care in case a scheduled companion is sick or otherwise cannot make a shift, and they handle employee screening, payroll taxes, insurance, and benefits. However, it can cost more than hiring an independent caregiver.