What is Companion Care and Can it Benefit Your Senior Loved One?
You may have heard of companion care for seniors but don’t exactly know what it entails and whether or not it might benefit the seniors in your life. Home care agencies, including Visiting Angels, have compassionate caregivers on staff that offer companionship to seniors, helping not only stave off loneliness and isolation but also to bring warmth, happiness and meaningful interactions into the lives of seniors.
Why Companionship Is Important
According to the Centers For Disease Control, loneliness and social isolation are serious health issues facing older adults, and they are issues that continue to worsen. The CDC says loneliness can put people at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions. It can also lead to depression and low self-esteem. A recent survey showed that nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are socially isolated. There are many reasons for this, such as living alone, loved ones having moved far away, and spouses and friends having passed away as they age. Having companionship can help prevent social isolation and lift our seniors' moods. It can give seniors a sense of belonging and the knowledge that someone is looking out for them and expecting to see or talk to them each day. It can make them feel important and that they matter.
You Pick What You Need
The nice thing about companion care is that you can tailor the service to your needs. The goal is to enrich your senior’s life with meaningful connections. What that entails is up to you and your loved one. Would your senior loved one like someone at home with them in the afternoons to have tea and talk about daily happenings? Maybe they’d love the idea of someone reading to them or even playing tunes and having a dance party together. Companions can encourage them to be active, whether it is mentally or physically. They can accompany them on a walk or to the store. They can visit places such as the Morse Museum in Winter Park together or walk through downtown and to Central Park with them. Afterward, they can watch a movie together or do a crossword. Having someone there with your loved one can help lift their spirits, give them a meaningful relationship and help their overall well-being, especially when you can’t be around.
There When You Need It
Companion care works with your schedule. Like other home care services, caregivers can be in the home as much or as little as you need. Does the senior in your life need someone with them to keep them company every afternoon? Or does he or she just need someone around on Thursday nights when you work late? Companion care works to build meaningful relationships with your seniors, so having someone they can look forward to seeing every morning just before breakfast can lift your loved one’s spirits. It is someone and something they know they can count on each day or every other day. Companion caregivers become a trusted part of your senior’s life and like a friend, so having them come into the home for conversation or outings each day brings them a lift and a sense of happiness each time.
Visiting Angels Can Help
If you are considering compassionate care for your senior loved one, Visiting Angels can help. We have professional and compassionate caregivers available to help meet your loved one’s needs as much or as little as they need. In addition to companion care, our trained professionals can help with anything your senior loved ones might need, from fall prevention to daily care. We also have experts in technology who can come in and help your loved one get online, companions who can go for a walk with them, and helpers who can help ensure they are washed and ready to start the day.
Our trained caregivers help people in the Orlando Downtown East, Winter Park and surrounding areas of Orange County. We can come into your home to assess your needs and discuss how we can help make this journey easier. For information, contact us at 407-236-9997.