When we have an elderly loved one, it can be challenging to know how best to provide them with our support. Often, we fail to understand what it is that we can do to add to the quality of life for the ones we love. With seniors, merely our presence and interactions can positively affect their overall mental and physical well being. Even if you are unable to be personally active in your elderly loved ones’ daily lives, there are things you can do to ensure that they feel loved and supported.

Isolation among seniors is a problem that will continue to be on the rise as our population ages. Loneliness and social isolation among the elderly has been shown to increase their chances of poor health. Finding ways to provide support to our elderly loved ones is important to ensure that their overall health and wellbeing are cared for.

Importance Of Remaining Connected

Promoting the social connectedness of our seniors who are cared for in their homes is a top priority when it comes to their mental health and physical well being. Even for those who receive regular in-home care can become isolated socially from their peer group, causing them distress that can lead to depression.

Meeting Transportation Needs

Arranging for your loved one to attend religious and social functions is important to keep as much of a normal social schedule as possible. As they become unable to drive themselves, seniors can become withdrawn from their peers, which can lead to depression. Many transportation services exist that can be scheduled to safely transport seniors to events, meetings, appointments, and stores that will allow them to participate in activities that are important to them.

Over 8 million elderly citizens in the United States receive long-term care services each year. While getting your elderly loved one the help they need can be complicated, it is worth the time and effort you invest. If you notice your aging parent has a hard time performing routine daily tasks, it may be time to get them some help.

One of the best ways to make maintaining a home easier for your elderly loved one is by hiring a reputable home health service. Before you hire a service to provide this help to your parent, you need to talk to them and see how they feel. Some senior citizens are unwilling to give up their independence, which makes convincing them they need home health assistance difficult. Talking to your aging parent about home care will be easy if you follow the tips below.

Propose a Probationary Period

Imposing your will on an aging parent can backfire spectacularly. Rather than going into this talk on the defensive, you need to calm down and plot out what you will say. Having a game plan in place will help you get through this difficult talk without forgetting important information. One of the primary things you need to consider before talking with a senior citizen about home care services is proposing a probationary period.

This means you will agree to give home care services a try for a month or more just to see if your aging parent likes it. In most cases, your parents will grow to love the help they get from the home care service. Not only will a good home care service help with things like cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping, they can also provide your aging parent with some much-needed socialization.

Researching the various care options for a senior loved one can be overwhelming, and the adult children tasked with this decision may find it challenging to determine what option is best for their family. There are some options, such as moving the senior to a residential care facility that requires major lifestyle changes.

A better option for many families is home care. If you are considering this for your senior loved one, keep reading to learn about some of the main benefits it offers.

Comfort

The main benefit offered by home care is that your loved one can age in place, in their home, where they are the most comfortable and familiar with the surroundings. They can sleep in their own bed, use their own bathroom, and continue to follow the day-to-day routines they are used to. When your senior loved one is in familiar surroundings, it is very beneficial, particularly for those who suffer from progressive conditions that may affect the memory, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Personalized Care

Rather than adjusting to the routines and schedules at a care facility, customized home care services can meet the needs of the seniors and their families. It doesn’t matter if your loved one just needs help for several hours a day, or if they need full-time, live-in care, home care provides the flexible options you need and can adapt the care schedule to meet your schedule.

In the US alone, over 72% of seniors have some form of disability. When it comes to elderly in-home care, if the senior does have any physical or mental limitations, the carer must be equipped to provide the proper care. Some special needs patients may have had intellectual or physical disabilities from birth. Others could be the result of an unfortunate injury or illness, while others can be related to advanced age. Caring for a senior with special needs must be done in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.

What do we provide?

Before we begin any care regimen, we will determine how we can best meet their needs. We do this by discussing with family members and physicians if needed to learn what has worked best for them over the years. Having consistency is critical, especially with anyone who is mentally handicapped, so we want to stick with what works and understand what doesn’t.

Physical assistance – Older adults with physical disabilities often feel excluded. We want to give each senior the chance to be as active as they can while feeling like they belong. If there are any groups, classes, or special activities the senior would like to participate in, we’re ready to take them.