How Companionship Can Benefit the Elderly

Whether your elderly loved one is experiencing a physical health decline or has a hard time dealing with negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, one thing is certain: the elderly need our help and support. Sometimes we are unable to give them what they need by ourselves, but there are other ways to help them, such as turning to professionals in home care in Marina Del Rey.

Aside from meeting their critical non-medical needs through personalized caregiving services, home care includes companionship. So what is companionship and why is it so important?

What are companionship services?

Caregiving services for seniors include daily help and support such as:

• Supporting recovery after a hospital stay,
• Help with personal hygiene care,
• Facilitating housekeeping,
• Assistance with the medication routine,
• Meal planning and preparation.

But companionship is an equally vital aspect of caregiving and it includes emotional support as well. It helps preserve and maintain the cognitive abilities and the mental wellbeing of the elderly. There are multiple scenarios in which companionship can play a crucial role in elderly care, whether on an ongoing or temporary basis.

You may ask yourself: What hire a professional companion if my parent is perfectly fine on their own? You may be thinking: Why should I pay for companionship? I’ve got it covered!

But the truth is that the elderly living alone often face the risk of developing depression. Contrary to the popular misconception, depression is not a normal part of growing older. It is a result of stress and anxiety which may go undetected even by next of kin. Often, the elderly feel abandoned and alienated, even if they have family members by their side. Family members may lack the experience, time or patience that the elderly need to resolve these issues.

What does a companion for the elderly do?

One of the key roles of a companion is to help an elderly person maintain their social life and stay connected to the society. An experienced caregiver will act as a companion of your elderly parent that can help them better coordinate and manage their life at home and their life outside.

To illustrate, let’s take meal preparation as an example. Your elderly may be:

• physically unable to cook or buy groceries for themselves,
• unwilling to make cooked, balanced meals on a daily basis,
• lacking discipline and self-control to stick to a strict dietary regimen in accordance with doctor’s orders.

Although you know that proper nutrition is of vital importance for the elderly, you may be struggling to find the time to manage their meal plan.

But an experienced caregiver can work out the right approach and employ effective strategies that will improve the nutrition of your elderly loved one and adapt it to their needs going forward. They will handle the grocery shopping and meal preparation. At the same time, a caregiver will serve as your elderly loved one’s trusted companion who will be able to get your elderly loved one to cooperate and act in their own best interest.

Matching your elderly loved ones with compassionate caregivers

Even if your elderly loved one is still capable of functioning on their own, home care from competent, compassionate caregivers can help raise their quality of life nonetheless. We work with competent elder care providers who can provide a higher standard of professional in home care in Marina Del Rey for your elderly loved ones.

The companions we will introduce you and your elderly loved one are patient, approachable and understanding of the situation that you and your family are going through. They are people you can trust to take good care of your loved one. Whether it’s help with running daily errands or keeping your loved one company on a day at the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center. Call today for more information.