One of the biggest challenges in elderly care is improving social involvement in seniors everyday lives. Senior isolation is not always thought of as a primary concern for seniors, but it should be. Studies have shown that social isolation, not only presents serious emotional risks, it also has a devastating effect on seniors’ physical health. For these reasons, it’s important that anyone charged with the care of an aging parent or relative does their best to ensure frequent social interaction and engagement.
At Visiting Angels, our elderly care providers not only provide vital companionship to many of our clients, we also help families find other ways to get seniors socially involved. We’d love to help you do the same, which is why we’ve put together the following short guide to keeping your aging loved one socially active.
It’s easy to underestimate the risks of senior isolation. Since senior isolation is primarily thought of as a social and emotional issue, many people involved with elderly care assume that its effects don’t extend to physical health. However, recent research has shown that social isolation has devastating emotional and physical effects on seniors.
Senior isolation has been shown to increase the risk for all of the following:
To properly combat senior isolation, we suggest encouraging social activity as part of your loved one’s elderly care program. There are all sorts of ways you can encourage social activity for your loved one.
Some of these are easier than others, depending on the person and their preferences. The key, as with any elderly care plan, is to find a solution that works for your loved one and their lifestyle.
For more tips on making social interaction a part of your loved one’s elderly care plan, or to discuss companion care services from a professional elderly care provider, call your local Visiting Angels today.
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My mother in law had an accident last October and broke her pelvis. After a one month stay in a skilled nursing facility, we knew she would require assistance with daily bathing, light cooking, and help with her daily rehabilitation exercises. We contacted Visiting Angels in San Ramon and received a prompt, professional response. They sent out a registered nurse to assess her care needs and quickly following our appointment, we were assigned a wonderful care giver! She had many years of experience and jumped right in to help my mother in law get right back on her feet. She helped with daily showers, exercises and light cooking! She was a fabulous cook! Our care giver helped with errands, grocery shopping, and provided a sense of peace and security while my mother in law healed and regained her independence. During our six week time using Visiting Angels, we received weekly check in phone calls to make sure we were happy with our caregiver and anything else they could provide to make her rehabilitation success