Prevent isolation from preying on your elderly parents’ emotional health


lonely caucasion senior woman mask on staring out the window aimlessly

A story of hope for adult children and their parents

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our lives like a runaway train, you probably worried about your aging parents living alone, wondering, “Are they healthy? Taking care of themselves? Eating enough? Taking their medication on schedule?” What about the guilt of not visiting them as often as you probably should?

Today, with sheltering in place, your parents may be lonelier than you realize. If you felt you didn’t visit them enough in the past, the situation is likely worse now because you can’t visit them for fear of COVID-19 exposure. Don’t be hard on yourself—you can take steps to heighten your parents’ sense of purpose and provide them with something to look forward to every day.

Prevent the loneliness of isolation from damaging the already fragile health that comes naturally with age. Consider in-home care from a professional home care agency that practices CDC-recommended safety measures to help prevent exposure to and transmission of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Isolation hits senior hard: Lonely, depressed & declining health

Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for various physical and mental health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.

The coronavirus has left many seniors unusually isolated, separated from friends and family they once depended upon for socialization, rides to the grocery store, or trips to the doctor. These seniors are at the highest risk for loneliness, depression, and susceptibility to disease and illness.

Prevent your isolated parents from succumbing to loneliness

You may live a block away, an hour away, or 2,000 miles from your parents. Even if you live near them, COVID-19 restrictions prevent visiting face-to-face today or in the near future. You’re concerned about their well-being, but what can you do?

Consider in-home care

In-home care is a robust and dependable solution to reduce or eliminate loneliness for your parents, providing peace of mind for you. In addition to caring for your parents’ daily needs such as dressing, preparing meals, running errands, and light housekeeping, in-home caregivers do much more. Our SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers engage older adults in meaningful activities like arts and crafts, reading, listening to music, setting up video calls with friends, and writing letters.

In addition to the activities mentioned above, seniors can do scores of things with their caregivers to feel more connected to others. With in-home care, each day, seniors have something to look forward to doing with their caregiver, providing hope while reducing loneliness.

As social creatures who thrive on social connections, friends, and family’s prolonged disconnection has been difficult. Professional caregivers understand the relationship between socialization and good health. They focus on activities that deliver interaction with the people your parents care about—video coffee chats with friends, FaceTime with the grandchildren, coordinating window visits, and sending little gifts to the family with special significance.

Connect through a project

Additionally, you can give your parents a project to do while they’re physically isolated. Ask them to be the family historian by journaling about the struggles your family, the country, and the world are enduring as we navigate the pandemic. Or request they put a photo album together using the old box of prints in the garage. Call them daily to check on their progress, discuss, and be a part of a shared project. The idea is to give them a purpose that makes them feel connected to family and special for managing the project.

In-home care provides peace of mind

As an adult child, the peace of mind you experience from your parents’ home care stems from the caregiver’s daily communication. Knowing how your parents are doing, their emotional and physical health will be what you look forward to each day. This level of contentment and the variety of services offered in their home make a profound impact on the quality of their lives.

Home care is in demand today, particularly by adult children like yourself. Doing whatever it takes to ensure your parents are in a good place emotionally, distanced from potential COVID-19 exposure, and well cared for within their own home by compassionate, friendly caregivers is your goal. SYNERGY HomeCare’s caregivers are committed to getting your parents through isolation with smiles on their faces, good health, and warmth in their hearts.

The peace of mind you will experience is priceless.