“Can you think of going an entire day and not having one meaningful conversation? It is heavier than any physical burden.”
For many senior adults, it is the reality of daily life. Even if their physical needs are cared for, their day is not fulfilled by their family or providers. The absence of companionship has created a hole that no medicine will fill. Companion care addresses this by restoring not only support, but heart- in essence, restoring comfort, laughter, and connection everyday. As we watch our loved ones enter the aging process, numerous aspects of their lives begin to change, some significantly and some less so. The once effortless things – a morning walk, making a favorite family recipe, or meeting friends for coffee – may no longer come to fruition even if they desire to do so.
The stats support what families are already experiencing. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 older adults are socially lonely, and chronic loneliness increases a person’s risk for dementia by 50%; and just to add to the gravity of the situation, being lonely can be as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day! In this environment, emotional support is much more than a “nice-to-have.”
What is Companion Care?
Companion care is a unique form of non-medical support that helps seniors with day-to-day living as well as companionship. This type of care is different from medical caregivers who focus strictly on physical health; in the case of elderly Companion care, emotional support is just as important as practical support.
Companion home care can entail many things like:
- Keeping seniors engaged in conversations and activities that are enjoyable to them
- Taking seniors to social events, medical appointments, social outings, etc.
- Light cleaning services, meal planning and preparation, medication reminders, etc.
- Companionship during daily routines to combat self isolation.
An elderly person will receive assistance along with a conscientious companion that has immeasurable benefit for their overall lifestyle.
What does Elderly Care involve?
Unlike the physical changes that elderly individuals undergo, emotional change is not something that occurs spontaneously; they typically have to struggle with the adverse emotions. This is often the case;
- Their lack of social contact and loneliness often creates social isolation – An elderly individual may feel completely detached from the world around them.
- Anxiety and depression – An elderly individual may develop mental health issues because they lost their independence and worries about the unknown future.
- Cognitive decline – Today people possess more cognitive issues related to memory because they lack daily stimulation and personal engagement.
- Feelings of uselessness – If someone is elderly and their needs and independence is limited to receiving assistance, they become totally dependent upon others and in many cases feel they are a burden.
Understanding and talking about emotional challenges is important because emotional health is related to and can impact physical health.
Companion Care and Emotional Support
While companion home care aides are trained to assist with basic care needs they are equally trained to build real relationships with the people they care for. Here are a couple of ways they support their clients’ overall wellbeing/emotional health:
- Relationships – Companions learn who their clients are, who their families are, and their clients’ likes and dislikes by actively participating with their clients. All this plays a role in developing a trusted relationship, and ultimately establishing an emotional bond.
- Consistency – There is comfort in knowing that there is a familiar face coming consistently.
- Socializing – Companions are able to bring their clients out in the community for social outings, religious services, or family get together to keep them socially engaged.
- Home based joy – In companion care services, happiness can be as simple as playing cards, taking a walk, gardening, or just watching a movie together.
In summary, elderly companion care is a much needed service that restores dignity and emotional wellbeing back to the lives of seniors while they are both recovering from an illness or injury while slowly getting back into their daily lives.
When Should Families Think About Companion Care?
Families should think about companion care when:
- A senior is living alone and experiencing loneliness.
- Loved ones are demonstrating signs of depression, disinterest, or low motivation.
- What was once considered a daily accomplishment – home cooked meals, cleaning, physical errands – is becoming burdensome.
- Family caregivers feel compelled to multi-task and can’t provide consistent social and emotional support because of other obligations.
Using professional companion care services early helps families protect a senior’s social connection and emotional support. It also provides professional companions until a loved one gains emotional stability.
How to Choose The Right Companion Home Care Agency for Someone You Love?
When it comes to caretaker selection, you need to consider your peace of mind as well as the well-being of a loved one. They include the following:
- Experience and Training – Make sure your provider understands elderly care, and knows how to support your loved ones emotional needs.
- Personal Fit – The companion should be matched up with similar interests, and/or included temperament.
- Flexibility of Services – Search for plans of care that you are able to personalize around the specific identified need(s), whether that need is one time short visit or full-time care.
- Reputation and Reviews – Look for a qualified trusted provider, and gather feedback from other families through testimonials or other reviews.
When Should Families Choose Companion Care?
Families should choose companion care when:
- Seniors are living alone and are feeling alone.
- Family members are showing signs of feeling depressed, disengaged or unmotivated
- Routine activity expectations of cooking, home care cleaning, caregiving and taking care of call-in errands are overwhelming.
- Family caregiving teams have so many outside obligations where they are unable to fulfill the social and emotional contact that the elderly in their care need.
- Utilizing an appropriate professional companion care service while the senior is still able to engage with social contact and emotional support will provide the best value with the service.
Conclusion
Caring for seniors is about caring for a whole person—body, mind and heart. Studies show that seniors who enjoy emotional and social connections in their lives can live up to 7.5 years longer than seniors who live in isolation. This is the amazing power of simple companionship. Companionship has value in and of itself because it adds value to life beyond comfort.
When family members seek a hired companion for their elderly loved one, they are not just providing companionship for meals or errands- they are giving dignity, joy, and connection in a world that can often be lonely. Aging does not have to mean isolation or loneliness. With the right support for our aging population, seniors should receive the assurance to enjoy their later years in happy, laughter-filled moments- because they feel valued every day.