Securing proper healthcare for your elderly loved ones is the best way to give them the quality of living they deserve in their golden years. Learn what’s involved in companion care, how it works, and how to choose the best senior in-home personal care in Little Rock.
What is companion care for the elderly?
Elder care for loved ones involves many benefits that can help improve their quality of life. Some of these benefits include having a companion who can assist them with dressing and bathing themselves, as well as preparing meals, maintaining a clean home, shuttling them to appointments or to the grocery store, or simply reading to them and providing companionship. The right choice of elder care providers can help instill a sense of assurance and peace of mind that might otherwise be missing.
Benefits of hiring a companion for senior care
A trusted companion can provide a much-welcomed sense of relief. Here are some of the benefits of hiring a provider. We know that hiring someone to stay with your loved one can be a daunting process, but the benefits outweigh the doubts! The greatest peace of mind can come by just knowing that a real, live person is there with your family member because it relieves you from having to constantly worry and check in.
Assistance
An elder care provider can help your loved one with day-to-day tasks, such as cooking, dressing, bathing, shopping, and household chores. It’s important for senior adults to still have a sense of independence. Our providers do their best to provide assistance while still allowing seniors their autonomy. They’ve lived their entire lives cooking, cleaning, dressing, and bathing themselves, and it’s our job to help them without removing them from adulthood.
Mobility
A companion can help maintain a safe and healthy level of physical activity as well as help reduce the possibility of falling. Our providers can assist seniors in moving their bodies in safe, healthy ways to keep them from spending all day in a sedentary state. Keeping their bodies at a healthy and age-appropriate activity level is just one more way our providers work to maintain the health of seniors. An active body helps maintain an active mind!
Health
An elder-care companion can also help with a senior’s mental health! While our elder companions cannot administer medications, we can provide reminders to take medications! Providers can assist seniors in remembering when they have appointments, remembering to take their medication, and by providing a steady routine that strengthens their ability to remember on their own and keep their minds sharp. Further, our companions can spot issues in these areas of health and report to concerned others if an elder is routinely forgetting to take medications or if there is a decline is his health.
Companionship
Senior companions can also help your loved one feel connected to their community by actively participating in events outside of the home, such as social events with friends. Our providers are here to make life easier for you and your loved one. Human beings need social activity in order to stay emotionally and mentally healthy! We are social creatures. Our providers truly have a servant’s heart and want your loved one to flourish.
Signs that it may be time for in-home care
With aging comes certain conditions and ailments that can make life more challenging. Here are some of the signs that your aging loved one is struggling to care for themselves.
Physical symptoms
Weight loss and frailty are common physical symptoms. Bruising could also indicate that accidents, such as falling, may be happening. This in turn could indicate that your loved one isn’t getting around their living space as well as they used to.
Diminished grooming and hygiene
This is one of the main indicators that it’s time to consider consulting a senior care provider. Body odor, the smell of urine, and poor bathing habits are all signs that professional help is needed.
One of the greatest benefits of having a senior care companion is that they provide a break for those who have had to assume responsibility for their parents’ bathing and toiletry routines. A companion can help maintain good grooming and bathing practices regularly.
Lack of mobility
Aging affects even the most basic day-to-day activities, especially those requiring mobility. After all, reduced mobility is not just a matter of having trouble getting around the house or struggling to run errands. It’s also a matter of maintaining relationships, since the lack of mobility can isolate your loved one from their friends or from even making social connections.
Additionally, an elder care provider can help make trips to the grocery store, get to doctor appointments on time, and be a source of regular companionship and support when the lack of mobility is a concern.
Absent-mindedness or forgetfulness
Incidents of forgetfulness may become more frequent with aging. Consistently forgetting doctor’s appointments or failing to pay bills may indicate that professional assistance may be needed. Our providers are happy to provide reminders to your loved one when bills are due, but we are not privy to any financial information. By working with a senior care companion, you can have peace of mind knowing that your loved one will be able to go about their normal activities in spite of the decline in cognitive functionality.
No interest in normal hobbies or activities
Giving up once-enjoyed activities is a sign that your loved one may be in an unhealthy place emotionally. It could also be a sign of depression. A senior care companion will not be able to medically treat your loved one, but they can help ensure that they get to their doctor’s appointments, remind them to take their scheduled medications, and have someone to provide companionship on a regular basis.
For more information
If you notice any of these signs, it doesn’t mean you have to panic. It’s an opportunity for you to step in, do the right thing, and make sure your elderly loved ones are cared for and well protected. It may be a difficult decision, but our providers will do everything and anything to help ease your anxiety. If you think it’s time to seek senior in-home personal care for your aging loved one, then don’t wait to pick up the phone. Contact Integrity today at (501) 406-0442 for help finding a highly qualified caregiver today.
