Home companions are an excellent solution for seniors or disabled adults in need of hands-off care and social interaction, whether independently or through a home care agency.
Home care companions provide several distinct advantages: alleviating loneliness, improving mental health, aiding with household tasks and offering respite for family caregivers.
1. Companionship
Seniors benefit greatly from having an at-home companion to combat feelings of loneliness and depression. An attentive companion can engage older adults in their favorite activities while taking them on outings in order to stay socially connected.
Companions for seniors can serve as friends, mentors and support systems – providing new hobbies, interests and ways of managing stress and anxiety.
Caregivers and companions can work closely together, but should never perform the same duties. Families should look for agencies offering care companions who create client care plans with family input before creating client care plans themselves. In addition, ensure the agency offers backup staff in case their care companion is unavailable – this will provide peace of mind to their host family.
2. Socialization
Seniors often struggle to maintain their independence and quality of life at home due to factors like death of loved ones, health concerns, reduced mobility and diminished independence. Loss of companionship coupled with decreased mobility often leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation among seniors living alone.
At home companions can offer assistance by encouraging social activity and helping locate events and activities to attend, acting as a point person to introduce people more easily. They may also serve as a wingman during introductions.
If your aging parent is feeling lonely and you have other family responsibilities, obtaining a companion who can attend social activity events and run errands on an ongoing basis could be beneficial. Many states provide Medicaid coverage for companion services. Word-of-mouth referrals may be the best source for finding experienced, reliable caregivers; alternatively contacting local area agencies on aging is another possibility.
3. Light Housekeeping
Light housekeeping services can be invaluable to elderly or disabled individuals who may struggle to keep their homes tidy on their own. A companion who can regularly tidy their kitchen, bathroom and bedroom may provide essential support.
A caregiver can assist their clients by taking care of tasks such as vacuuming, sweeping, dusting and surface cleaning as well as emptying trash cans and washing dishes. In addition, they can water plants as well as organize drawers, shelves and closets.
However, home care providers shouldn’t be expected to perform all tasks, such as deep cleaning and yard maintenance. Deep cleaning involves the scrubbing of grout which should only be undertaken on an as-needed basis by professional cleaners.
4. Medication Reminders
Reminding seniors to take their medications on schedule can be difficult. Med reminders provide individuals with assistance in keeping on schedule with their regimen and avoid side effects due to missed doses.
EveryDose offers customizable features for keeping track of medications and supplements efficiently and clearly. A more advanced solution from Hero offers smart pill dispensers which work hand in hand with its smartphone app to safely dispense medications at the appropriate times with visual and audio alerts for safe dispensing as well as monthly reports that can be shared with physicians – some companion care services even incorporate this technology as part of their med management packages.
5. Transportation
Numerous seniors experience isolation, which has been linked to various health conditions including heart disease and high levels of depression. Companion care services are an effective solution to combat loneliness at home while improving quality-of-life for aging adults.
Companions can provide much-needed transportation support to assist aging adults who no longer drive. They provide convenient rides to appointments or errands that could otherwise go undone, providing invaluable assistance.
Companions provide many of the same advantages as nurses or home caregivers; however, due to lack of training they should not be asked to undertake tasks that require advanced medical knowledge. Companions are best used as companions who offer socialization assistance, help with everyday tasks, and offer medication reminders.