As the years pass, it gets increasingly difficult for our elderly loved ones to get out of the home and visit their friends. Missing out on this companionship can have major negative effects on mental and physical health, especially during advanced age.
Feeling concerned about the social aspect of your loved one’s life is perfectly normal and the team at Miami Valley Homecare offers solutions to help remedy this problem. Seek out companion care in Miami Valley if you’re worried about your loved one. Below are seven signs that they could benefit from such care.
Signs of depression
Missing out on social activities and time with friends has a major negative impact on many adults. In advanced aging, seniors can be particularly prone to depression. Companion care provides the social aspect of their lives that they’re missing in order to help combat the onset or progression of depression.
Clutter throughout the home
When we don’t anticipate visitors, it’s not uncommon to let the house go into a certain level of disarray. Unfortunately, this sometimes goes beyond a healthy level and may never be cleaned up with seniors because of an onset of depression or loneliness. If you see that your parent’s home has become excessively cluttered with mail, unpaid bills, clothing, or even spoiled food in the kitchen, they might be in need of companion care. Not only does this create potential issues with bugs, rodents, and disease, excessive clutter can lead to safety issues in the home.
Unwilling/unable to perform daily tasks
Daily tasks are going to get increasingly difficult for anyone during advanced age. If you’re worried about your loved one being able to properly use the restroom, cooked food, or simply walk from room to room, a companion provides the necessary help to go about performing daily tasks that they need to get through the day.
Poor personal hygiene
Like letting the home go, it’s not uncommon for someone who doesn’t get to leave the home often to let their personal hygiene take a backseat for the rest of their lives. Avoiding hygienic activities like bathing regularly, changing clothes daily, or even combing their hair are signs that your loved one needs some level of companionship in their life.
Risk of falling
Whether it’s stairs, hard flooring, or clutter, seniors who are at risk for falling should have someone around in case of an emergency. Falls can be serious events that lead to rapid degradation of health. Monitoring seniors who are at risk for falls is a critical part of companion care in Miami Valley and can help to extend the life of your loved one.
Difficulty managing medication
With advanced age often comes a cocktail of medications that need to be taken on a regular, daily schedule. If you worry that your loved one is missing doses of medication or not taking it as directed, a companion can assist with this. Companion care with Miami Valley Homecare includes assisting with medication administration in order to ensure that your parent is getting help taking care of themself.
Loneliness
Loneliness is a common piece to the mental health puzzle that gets neglected by family members. Even if you make your best effort to take time to visit an aging parent or grandparent, you have your own life to live and can’t spend every waking minute with an elderly family member. Fortunately, companion care provides the company that many seniors need to continue to thrive.
Get in touch with Miami Valley Homecare
Contact Miami Valley Homecare today to learn more about the services that we offer. Our companion care in Miami Valley is a great way to help your loved one socialize and get the help around the house that many seniors need. Give us a call at 937-671-2273 or fill out our contact form. We look forward to helping find the best care for your loved one.
