Companion Care (sometimes also referred to as In-Home Companion Care) refers to the professional care, or in home care of an individual who is mostly independent, but requires assistance with common daily living activities even when they’re not able to do them on their own. This may be because of physical disabilities or chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. It may also be necessary due to the fact that the senior in home requires extra help with bathing, dressing, eating, and exercising. Sometimes it’s just better for the senior to be in a familiar, comfortable, warm environment in order to get the kind of assistance they need. It can make a big difference for the senior’s sense of self-worth if they know they have a reliable, caring partner on hand to help them every day.
Senior citizens may come in all shapes and sizes. They range from plump, skinny old ladies in their 70s to broad, muscled young men in their early 50s. And no matter what their age, everyone needs companionship. Senior home care options provide opportunities for seniors to enjoy companionship outside their homes, which can improve their quality of life and make their lives more comfortable and less stressed. These living arrangements also provide seniors with the freedom to maintain a simple lifestyle that may otherwise be too hard for them to manage on their own.
The benefits of companion care services extend beyond the elderly senior population. Many people in the younger generation also require personal care assistance in order to survive. Personal care services include but are not limited to housekeeping, errands, shopping, and medical visits. There are several kinds of companion care services available tailored specifically for this purpose, including in home care agencies and home health care agencies.
Housekeeping and errands are among the most common services provided in home companion care. This type of in home companion care allows seniors to keep their homes in tip-top shape, while also allowing their loved ones to keep busy and retain independence. Many seniors prefer to keep their homes as comfortable as possible. If they don’t want to have to move in with relatives or live in an assisted living home, housekeeping services allow them to keep their personal hygiene in tact.
Shopping and meal preparation are also common tasks in senior companion care. It’s common to find seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other degenerative diseases and require assistance in these tasks. In home nursing care agencies, home medical service companies, and in home care agencies, one or two caregivers are assigned to each patient. When a patient requires more than two caregivers, special services are arranged. These include an in home nurse and/or nurse aide, an in home caregiver, or a full-time caregiver.
Senior companions provide routine tasks like laundry and errands. They can assist with shopping, making grocery excursions, and preparing meals. When a senior in home care has difficulty carrying out their daily activities, they may need someone to help them move from one room to another. For instance, if the senior needs help retrieving something from the closet, they could have their caregiver pick it up for them. The same holds true for running to the bathroom; the caregiver would be called and aid the senior in moving to the mirror to retrieve their contact lenses.
Housekeeping duties are often stressful for a senior. Seniors can become frustrated if housekeeping tasks are not completed in a timely manner. Often times, housekeepers will complete their tasks promptly and leave the senior alone to enjoy a relaxing time by the pool or at the end of the day. For this reason, they are often given a specific date in which they are to be picked up from the residence, in case they wish to relax by the poolside. Home healthcare providers that have experience working with seniors can often assign caregivers to these tasks to make sure the senior in home care is able to relax and enjoy their time spent at home.
Many seniors in home health services are suffering from diseases or injuries that prevent them from performing ordinary tasks. For example, some seniors may have memory loss and may not know how to get around the house. In these cases, home health services providers are able to provide assistance with dressing, moving, and eating. Many caregivers specialize in medical care services provided to patients in their golden years. Regardless of whether a senior in home health care is having problems dressing themselves, drinking water, or remembering how to get to the bathroom, they can be assisted in these situations by trained professionals.