Elderly loved ones without family nearby who need assistance managing everyday chores may benefit from home companion services. These caregivers offer emotional support and socialization.
Companion care services can be found both formal and informally; your Area Agency on Aging can connect you with reliable home companion providers.
Help with Meal Prep
Home companion services provide assistance with meal preparation. Preparing food may be challenging for those living with physical limitations, particularly if standing for long periods or using gross and fine motor skills is limited. Our caregivers can prepare delicious meals tailored specifically to the preferences and dietary requirements of your loved one.
Caregivers can also assist their loved one with grocery shopping and transporting purchases back home – providing another bonding experience as well as some physical activity and social interaction.
Companions can also help ensure the family pet is fed and has clean litter boxes, providing primary caregivers with relief as they tend to other obligations such as work or other personal responsibilities. Companions also serve an invaluable service for seniors living alone – as isolation poses serious health risks for this age group.
Help with Household Chores
Home companions provide invaluable assistance for older adults or individuals with disabilities in managing household chores and small jobs, which is a tremendous relief to families dealing with decreased mobility or dementia and diminished abilities to complete daily routine tasks.
Chores may not be high on anyone’s list of fun activities, but they are vitally important for maintaining an efficient home environment. No matter whether you live alone, with roommates, or as part of a couple – keeping an upkeep list will ensure that maintenance of your space runs smoothly and automatically.
Create a master list of chores either on paper or electronically and organize by frequency and task type. Next, divide this up among household members with each person responsible for daily, weekly, or monthly responsibilities.
Help with Transportation
Home companion services with transportation provide seniors with a wonderful way to maintain socialization while also getting out and about. A companion can transport seniors to appointments such as doctors’ visits or grocery store runs and help run errands while offering friendly companionship during family and friend visits.
Loneliness can be a serious problem for older people living alone or when their families live far away or have passed on. Adult home companions are an effective solution to combat loneliness by visiting frequently and providing essential emotional support; additionally, adult home companions can remain in contact with family members so if there’s ever an emergency they are immediately connected to help if necessary.
Home companion care may be used in addition to or as an interim step towards full-time nursing home care, depending on your loved one’s individual needs. Get in touch with us for a complimentary in-home evaluation to discover how companion care could enhance their quality of life!
Help with Activities of Daily Living
Loneliness and isolation can be serious challenges for seniors living alone. A regular visit from someone can provide emotional support, companionship, and enhance overall quality of life.
Home companion services can also assist seniors in keeping up with important medical tasks like taking their medications on schedule and attending appointments, playing cards or board games together and even helping with tasks like grocery shopping.
Families seeking an agency should inquire whether a friend or relative have used one and can recommend them, in addition to finding out whether or not the agency performs background checks on its staff and includes families in creating client care plans.
Penny Golden, RN is an experienced home health care nurse manager specializing in geriatric patients. She graduated with her BSN from North Park University and boasts over three decades of hospital experience – including expertise in geriatric psychiatric nursing.