Loneliness can negatively impact senior’s health, increasing their chances of suffering from conditions like high blood pressure or difficulty sleeping. Home companion care provides one effective solution for keeping them socially connected.
An experienced, background-checked caregiver can be an invaluable source of comfort in the lives of your loved ones. Home companions provide companionship on an established schedule, giving your loved one someone to look forward to seeing daily.
Companionship
Aging can often necessitate additional assistance with everyday tasks like running errands, shopping, and meal prep – this can make life more comfortable for your loved one and extend their stay at home for longer.
Homecare services that focus on companionship include shopping for groceries and supplies, meal planning and preparation, scheduling appointments and socialization. It may also combine with more advanced care options like personal assistance, medication reminders or transportation.
Companions do not provide hands-on care services and should be hired through home care agencies or independently and paid directly by families; insurance rarely covers their services.
If you are considering companion care, ask someone whose trusted friend or relative uses the service to give an assessment and recommendation. In addition, Karpilow advises checking with a care community to see if there are guidelines in place that pertain specifically to companions.
Personal Care
Home companions provide invaluable assistance for loved ones with personal care tasks like bathing and dressing, meal preparation, laundry care and shopping errands – not to mention medication reminders to ensure loved ones take their meds on schedule or don’t miss a doctor appointment!
A caregiver can also take your loved one for walks in the park, play cards or watch television. In addition, they can have conversations that make your loved one feel connected and included again.
Hiring a home caregiver can be done either independently or through an agency. Home care agencies usually create care plans with clients’ families involved and perform background checks on all caregivers they hire; some agencies even offer dementia training classes as well as backup staff in case of emergencies; however family members who hire companions directly may need to conduct their own background checks on potential companions.
Medication Reminders
Alzheimer’s patients or terminally ill seniors can find taking medication at the right times difficult, making remembering to do it a daily challenge. A two-way audio camera enables caregivers to keep in contact with your loved one throughout the day to remind them about their medication schedule and ensure it’s taken on schedule.
Home users may use various pill reminder devices, such as traditional pill dispensers or electronic alarm clocks, in combination with smartphone apps like Reminder Rosie to set reminders that can record personalized voice reminders for people who forget to take their medications on time, such as electronic pill dispensers. Hearing a familiar and comforting voice might help remind someone else when taking medications is forgotten about.
The researcher will demonstrate to participants how to access an appropriate medication reminder app from their smartphone app store (iTunes for iOS phones or Google Play for Android phones), download and register their current medications and supplements in it as well as emphasising its importance for taking their medicine at the correct times.
Transportation
Home care services may be provided by agencies, independent caregivers or aides certified by the state. Activities provided range from grocery shopping and meal preparation to house cleaning and laundry services as well as pet and other animal care and personal hygiene assistance as well as transportation to appointments.
Agencies create care plans tailored specifically for their clientele and involve families in the creation process. Many also offer backup staff as needed – families should inquire whether such benefits are provided when choosing an agency.
Transportation-trained caregivers can assist aging adults in running errands, attending social events and religious services, visiting friends and family members, planning outings and unpacking bags when the senior returns home. Many insurance policies cover this expense while some states even provide Medicaid coverage for in-home aide services or homemaker care.