Companion Care Services for Seniors & the Elderly
When you choose to hire a caregiver from Emerald CareGivers, you give your loved one the benefit of assistance with homemaking, meal preparation, and most importantly, the opportunity to meet a friendly, caring companion.
Why Companionship Care Is Important
Seniors who have strong social bonds have a lower risk of developing conditions like dementia, and other conditions. Socially engaged seniors are much more likely to be physically active and mobile with lower rates of disability, not to mention they tend to keep current with their doctor visits and eat a well-balanced diet, which can be beneficial to people of all ages and abilities.
The Benefits of Companion Care for Seniors & the Elderly
Even seniors who have the ability to age in place in familiar, comfortable surroundings can become lonely without social connections and assistance with daily chores and activities. Companion care bridges the gap for these individuals.
Emotional Support, Comfort, & Friendship
Ongoing socialization is important at any age and helps maintain good mental health. Unfortunately, many seniors are at risk of isolation that leaves them feeling empty and depressed after the loss of a spouse, friends, or changes in abilities to continue socializing. By spending time with a caregiver, your loved one will have someone to offer a meaningful social connection who can partake in the activities they enjoy, such as playing cards, preparing meals together, watching favorite sports games on TV, or going for a light stroll in the park. These activities bring joy and mental stimulation that seniors need to stay healthy and vital.
Live with More Dignity
Companion care for elders empowers older adults to live with dignity and without the concern of burdening their loved ones as they age. They keep as independent as possible, enjoy the company of a great friend, and don’t have to uproot their lives to move into an unfamiliar environment – which can lead to feelings like anxiety, fear, or depression.
Practical Assistance with Everyday Activities
As we grow older, housework and activities of daily living become more difficult, such as meal prep, laundry, housekeeping, grocery shopping, remembering to take medication, and running errands. A companion caregiver helps with all these tasks and much more. A caregiver follows a plan created by the home care agency team that promotes physical safety and wellbeing while also protecting emotional health and socialization.
Preventative Care
Keeping healthy becomes more of a difficult task with advanced age. A personal companion provider can help your senior avoid problems that may occur from lack of access to healthy meals, decreased mobility, missed medication, and loneliness. A caregiver can support healthy choices and remain active in order to prevent problems that might lead to a need for medical care.
Respite Relief for Family Caregivers
Even the most loving, attentive family caregiver risks burnout. After all, you have a life of your own and will benefit from a focus on your own health and emotional wellbeing. The simple answer could be to find a balance of staying in your loved one’s life on a daily basis and being able to focus on your own life by hiring a personal companion provider to keep your loved one company when you’re not available.
Peace of Mind for Family & All Loved Ones Involved
When you have an experienced professional caregiver in your home, you can rest assured your loved one will get the attention and companionship they need to ward off feelings of loneliness. This, in turn, will leave you the time to do other tasks without feeling guilty about leaving your elderly loved one home alone.
What Is Companionship Care?
Companionship care is a perfect service you can choose so your senior loved one can “age in place.” Oftentimes home care services can be about tasks such as help with light housekeeping, assistance with grooming and bathing, medication reminders, and more, but it can also include building a connection between the caregiver and the client that brings new meaning and joy to someone’s life.
Types of Companionship Care We Offer
Social Companion Care
Isolation from friends and family is an actual health threat many seniors face in their later years of life. Whether they have a disability that makes them less mobile or they are geographically separated from their loved ones, it poses concerns that can create more than just loneliness. A caregiver companion offers emotional and social support for their clients as they continue to live in the familiarity and comfort of their own homes.
Preventative Companion Care
Personal companion providers not only lend a listening ear but also help significantly with preventative care, such as by preparing healthy meals and encouraging mentally and physically stimulating activities that promote vitality. This could help minimize common problems the elderly face: malnutrition, weight fluctuations, decreased stamina, and reduced muscle mass. The goal is to keep your senior loved one as safe and as independent as possible as their companion is there to improve overall well-being.
Elder Companion Care
It’s common that elderly individuals don’t want to burden their adult children with their ongoing feelings of anxiety, depression, or loneliness. The emotional support a personal companion provider offers helps seniors open up to a more objective, neutral listener. Not only that, but the companion can help draw out meaningful conversations from their clients to figure out if anything is troubling them.
Signs Your Loved One Would Benefit from Companion Care
Your Loved One Has Limited Social Engagement
Do you worry about your loved one sitting on the couch alone, with one hour blurring into the next? This is a common reality for many seniors, even though their loved ones want the best for them. A home caregiver called a companion caregiver can lend a friendly ear and provide the social engagement an elderly individual needs to help their mind stay stimulated and their mood be elevated.
Your Loved One Needs Help Maintaining a Routine
Maintaining a routine becomes an even more complicated task when mobility and cognition have declined with age or illness. By establishing a routine, your loved one will reap the benefits of a predictable and comfortable lifestyle that includes help with transportation, reminders to take medication, daily meal and nutrition prep, and much more.
Your Loved One Needs Help With Transportation (Appointments, Groceries)
Many seniors are no longer able to get around the way they used to in their younger years. With their need to see their doctor for checkups, go to church to see friends, or even to make a routine trip to the grocery store, the task can be simply too much for a busy loved one who has to hold down a job and/or raise their own family. A home caregiver can provide much needed support with these tasks that involve the need for help with transportation and driving to various locations.
Your Loved One Needs Help With Meal Preparation
Home caregivers can assist with meal preparation and at the same time connect about stories behind favorite recipes of the client.
Your Loved One Needs Help With Hobbies or Recreational Activities
Everyone needs a friend or partner to do the things they love. Whether that means a game of cards or watching the birds at the local park, your loved one can enjoy quality time with a personal companion provider who will enthusiastically engage with them and encourage them to take part in activities they find meaningful, fun, and stimulating.
Your Loved One Needs Help With Important Reminders
Forgetting to take medication or missing a doctor’s visit can have negative consequences. With the assistance of an in-home caregiver, your loved one will keep on track with their medication and appointments to lower their risk for preventable health hazards. These reminders can make all the difference to loved ones who have other tasks of their own to keep in mind.
Your Loved One Needs Assistance With Pet Care
Furry friends offer wonderful companionship to a senior, but they are also a big responsibility. If your senior has a beloved dog they would like to walk, a caregiver can join them for added safety, or a cat whose litter box needs to be cleaned, you can trust that an in-home caregiver can keep up with these tasks. Homewatch CareGivers companions can ensure that even the family pets get the attention and companionship they require to thrive if a senior has mobility problems or otherwise cannot attend to the pets’ careas diligently as they need.
Your Loved One Needs Help With Light Household Chores
Housework takes time, energy, and dedication. That’s when an in-home caregiver becomes an invaluable asset for your loved one as they provide help with common housekeeping tasks such as doing the laundry or cleaning up the kitchen after preparing a meal.