Do you think your senior parents or loved ones could benefit from some help around the house? It can be hard for adult children to have a conversation about senior home care. Knowing more about the benefits of a senior companion can help make the conversation easier. Here are five benefits of having a senior companion for your consideration.
1. Companions Give Seniors Someone to Talk to
Many seniors say they feel lonely, and some can regularly go a whole month without talking to anyone. After retirement, it’s hard to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances from work. Friends or family members may move away, become ill, or die. That leaves seniors with a much smaller social circle than they had when they were younger.
With a senior companion, your parents or loved ones will have a friendly person to talk to. The companion can visit your parents regularly for conversation and fun. They can chat about sports, television shows, favourite vacation spots, or anything else your parents are interested in. The companion can also help with fun hobbies, like working in the garden or playing board games.
2. Companions Can Help with Housework
When you visit your parents, you probably help them with some tasks around the house. You may vacuum their carpets or cook them a nice dinner. These tasks are very helpful for your parents, but you can’t visit every day. When you can’t visit, a senior companion can go to your parents’ house.
Senior companions can help with all the light housekeeping you’d help with on your visits. They can vacuum, do the dishes, or help with meal preparation. They can also help your parents look after their pets or plants.
3. Companions Can Help with Transportation
Are your parents not able to drive anymore? Today’s seniors are living longer than ever before, so this is a common problem. After losing their ability to drive safely, seniors live an average of 7 to 10 more years. Walking or taking public transit aren’t always good alternatives, for a variety of reasons.
You probably drive your parents to their doctor’s appointments or to the store, but you’re not always around. If they want to go somewhere while you’re at work, they have no way to get there. A senior companion can change that. Companions can take your parents to the places they need to go.
4. Companions Give Family Members Peace of Mind
Now your parents are getting older, you might worry about them being home alone all the time. You may worry about potential hazards in their home, like their slippery bathtub or tendency to leave clutter on the floor. You may worry they’ll cook a meal and forget to turn the stove off.
A companion can give you some peace of mind. When your parents are with their companion, you’ll know they’re safe. Their companion will supervise them and make sure they’re ok. If they suffer a fall, someone will be with them to call for medical assistance.
5. Companions Help Seniors Remain Independent
Most seniors want to live in their own homes as they get older. However, not all of them will be able to do that. Seniors who need help with tasks like chores or transportation may need to move in with their children, even if they don’t want to. Or they may need to move into an assisted living facility.
If your parents have said they want to stay in their home, a senior companion can help. With assistance from a companion, your parents can hang on to their independence. They can handle all the tasks they’re capable of, and their companion can help with the rest.
