Senior home companion services provide seniors with a high quality of life. They can be an affordable alternative to assisted living or nursing home care.
Companion care can be especially helpful for seniors who face daily household responsibilities, are at risk of isolation or require transportation to appointments. It may even provide comfort to long-distance caregivers.
Help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the fundamental self-care skills people require to stay healthy and independent. These include bathing, showering, dressing, toileting, and mobility.
If you or a loved one is having trouble with ADLs, senior home companion services may be beneficial. They provide assistance with meals, housekeeping tasks and other activities that enable seniors to maintain or increase their independence.
These services can assess senior needs and determine if they require further care or a nursing home. Furthermore, they offer assistance with medications and transportation.
ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) are a commonly used assessment tool by physicians to gauge a senior’s functional level. For instance, the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living is one such assessment that continues to be widely employed today.
The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale is a widely-used assessment tool that measures eight categories of IADLs (instrumental activities of daily living). It takes 10-15 minutes to complete, providing an invaluable opportunity to check your loved one’s functional level and identify areas requiring assistance or special consideration.
Medications Management
Medication management is essential in treating many illnesses and improving quality of life for those affected. Unfortunately, remembering to take medications as prescribed can be a hassle, so medication management helps guarantee patients take their medicine at the correct dosage and frequency.
MedStar Health Home Care’s registered nurses assist patients in organizing their medications and setting up reminders to stay organized. They also review a patient’s medication history to make sure they are not taking any contra-indicated drugs or combining two or more drugs that could result in negative side effects or drug interactions.
Medication management is an essential element of any recovery program, particularly for older adults. Not only does it reduce the risk of serious side effects like dementia, but also ensure all medications are taken as prescribed by a doctor.
Transportation
A reliable transportation solution can help senior residents remain independent, maintain social connections and stay healthy. Without transportation, seniors become isolated from friends and family members which negatively impacts their wellbeing and quality of life.
Thankfully, many cities and states provide affordable transportation options for seniors. These may include free or low-cost public transportation services as well as private paratransit systems.
Some communities offer ride-hailing programs like Uber and Lyft at lower costs than traditional cab service. However, these companies require users to master their smartphone apps and may not be as dependable or secure.
Another cost-effective option is hiring a senior home companion to provide transportation for your loved one. They can take them to doctor appointments, social events, religious services and grocery shopping while helping with laundry and housekeeping duties as an extra set of hands to complete daily tasks. This type of care may be ideal for older adults who wish to age in place but don’t require more intensive support yet.
Socialization
Seniors often benefit from regular companionship and social interaction from their closest friends or relatives, which can help them feel more connected to the community. This reduces social isolation – a major issue among older adults that can lead to health complications and mortality.
Companions offer support with daily living tasks, such as cooking or grocery shopping, cleaning the home, and transporting to appointments or errands. These services may be provided by paid home care agencies, family members or friends, churchgoers, and volunteer organizations.
Socialization is a gradual process that occurs over time and is determined by many factors such as family, society, the individual’s class, ethnicity, gender and economic status. It may be referred to as acculturation or enculturation and it instills basic discipline for social order maintenance while helping citizens comprehend the significance of values and norms within society and how these can shift over time. Finally, self-discipline leads to improved health outcomes for citizens.