What are the Emotional Benefits of Senior Companion Care?

Companion care is a type of home care that provides non-medical assistance to seniors or disabled people. The primary purpose of companion care is emotional support and sociability. Companion caregivers do what personal caregivers do; however, they provide additional services, such as washing, dressing, medication administration, providing food, socialization, and amusement, and talking with family members and other members of the medical team.

In this article, we will tell you about the benefits of companion care in general and its emotional benefits.

How Companion Care Works

Companion care can be offered in either a professional or informal setting. For example, some elderly persons have friends who stop by on a regular basis to pay them a nice visit and assist them with home responsibilities. Additional companion services are provided through a number of local groups or individuals. As part of the overall care plan, some agencies provide companions, while others refer you to other local agencies.

Companions often make frequent visits, which may range in frequency based on the individual requirements of the care receiver. Companions often come at least once a week, but some may visit twice a week, three times a week, or even every day to assist older persons with food preparation, washing, and other duties. Appointments may also cause schedules to shift. If a senior has an appointment outside of regular visit hours, companions will typically rearrange their schedules to suit these requirements or make other transportation arrangements.

Benefits of Companion Care

Companion care is beneficial in many ways, such as:

Social Support

Companion caretakers provide social support to the elderly. Twenty-five percent of senior citizens are isolated and lonely.  Loneliness and social solitude put elders in danger of dying prematurely, developing dementia, developing heart disease, or stroke. Seniors need health care companies now more than ever partially because they were instructed to stay at home or maintain social distance for over two years. A companion caregiver helps seniors decrease boredom, unhappiness, loneliness, and feelings of hopelessness. Companion care is intended to give meaningful participation in significant activities to the elderly. Companion caregivers play an essential part in the social life of elders, whether it’s making cookies, having fun, bird watching, or enjoying a beautiful drive.

Emotional Support

Seniors are more willing to discuss their feelings with non-family individuals than their immediate or extended family members. Many older people do not want to bother their adult children or closest relatives with worry, despair, or solitude. On the other hand,  caregivers that provide companion care are only for this function. Many seniors feel more at ease opening out to their partners after developing connections. Companion caregivers are also taught ways for eliciting dialogue with their clients, including what is bothering them. They may then educate elders on effective coping methods to help them reframe their perspective on life. Companion caretakers can also keep an eye out for indicators of depression and alert the family if they see them.

Preventative Care

Companion caregivers provide companionship and play an important role in preventative care. As they become older, most seniors deal with nutrition and activity. Malnutrition is frequent in the senior population and can result in a variety of health problems. In older adults, a reduction in activity or exercise is frequent, and it can lead to undesirable weight gain, diminished stamina, and reduced muscle mass. Companion caregivers aid with meal preparation, which promotes healthy aging. They can also accompany their client on walks to keep their mobility and stamina up. While monitoring the health and well-being of their clients, companion caregivers can help elders to remain independent at home.

Respite Relief for Families

Companion care allows families to take a break. Caring for an elderly family member may be difficult, particularly when time is short and the care responsibilities appear to be never-ending. Finding time for oneself can be challenging for family caregivers who are juggling jobs, home life, and caring for an aging family member. Caregiver burnout, a significant situation in which the family caregiver suffers from weariness, anxiety, or sadness, can result from this. Companion caregivers provide needed and well-deserved respite from caring chores, enabling family caregivers to relax or recover. In addition, the family caregiver may relax knowing that their elderly loved one is receiving great care from a dependable companion caregiver.

Emotional benefits of Companion Care

Emotional advantages of companion care include: 

Dignity

According to one big Alzheimer’s Association survey, 71% of adults dread being a liability to their romantic partner as they grow older, while 70% fear becoming a liability to their kids. In fact, people’s anxiety of becoming a liability was substantially higher than their concern of transferring into a nursing facility (56 percent) or even dying (46 percent ).

The assistance and devotion of a companion can enable older persons to live with more dignity and improve their overall health. In addition, feeling seen, heard, and appreciated may provide seniors with a sense of important purpose and enable them to live the lifestyle they choose without feeling overly reliant on friends, family, or neighbors.

Independence

Many seniors are concerned about giving up driving or other valued hobbies as time goes by. It can be upsetting for seniors to experience as if they are losing their independence after a long period of being independent. The same is true for family caregivers, who frequently experience a “role reversal” with their elderly parents.

The advantages of companion care can assist elders in living their best lives on their terms. Seniors frequently feel supported and enhanced by the aid of a companion since they know they can go out and do chores or participate in community gatherings. Simultaneously, friendship can help alleviate the symptoms of worry, despair, and even chronic physical pain.

According to research, seniors who retain positive social relationships, such as a connection with a partner, are less likely to acquire age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular condition, and various kinds of cancer. In addition, socially involved seniors had greater physical mobility ratings and reduced rates of impairment. Maintaining social connections also increases one’s chances of engaging in health-seeking behaviors, such as getting cancer screenings or eating healthier.

Friendship

It is never too late to enjoy the companionship of a good friend. According to research, older persons who maintain social connections have greater levels of self-esteem and life happiness. A senior companionship may aid your beloved’s life in a variety of ways, from accompanying them to engage in their favorite hobbies to assisting them in making new friends and connecting with their community.

While it may appear little, assisting seniors in building these social relationships is critical. According to one large poll of persons aged 50 to 80, 25 percent of people indicated they felt very lonely from other people at least part of the time, and one in three said they don’t enjoy consistent companionship.” Moreover, these emotions of solitude can have a negative impact on a senior’s mental and physical health over time. Indeed, one famous statistic implies that persistent isolation may be as harmful to your health as “smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

Comfort

Uprooting their life and relocating into a foreign area may be quite frightening for senior citizens, leading to emotions of worry, dread, and sadness. But, according to studies, aging in place with the assistance of a senior partner can result in some astonishing benefits. Many older persons place a great value on maintaining their own homes’ comfort, safety, and familiarity.

According to the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) study, about 90 percent of individuals want to remain at home as they grow older for both emotional and practical causes. Older persons wish to age in place since they have a deep emotional tie to their house. Sixty-three percent of those aged 75 and higher stated that the sentimental value of their property was considerably more significant to them than its financial worth.

Confidence and Peace of Mind for Family

As previously said, companion care is about providing elders with the assistance they require to flourish. Still, it is also about assisting family caregivers in reclaiming their personal time and inner peace.

According to one 2017 study, “almost half of the family caregivers deal with sadness, and 45 percent of them do not have time to schedule or attend their medical visits.” In addition, according to AARP research, 40% of caregivers “report feeling stressed by their everyday responsibilities.”

Switching to respite care for family caregivers may be a fantastic approach to enhance your personal wellbeing and health. Realizing that a companion is supporting your beloved might allow you to rest and focus on other issues, such as caring for yourself, focusing on work, or carving out time for a meaningful new interest or experience of your own.

Companion Care Near Me in Las Vegas

The primary goal of Health & Care Professional Network’s companion and socialization services is to build solid relationships with our customers to improve their lives and reduce feelings of loneliness.

Call (702) 871-9917 for additional information on how Health & Care Professional Network may assist your elderly loved ones.

You can learn more about other Home Assist services.