If your elderly family member lives alone and you’re not near her, you might just find yourself wondering if she’s alone in her home way too much. Talking with your elderly family member about how she feels and what she wants can help but digging deeper into these individual concerns can help you to determine how much help she might actually need.
What Constitutes Being Alone Too Much?
Everyone has different requirements and needs around socialization. For you, being alone at all might seem to be too much for your senior. If she’s a determined introvert, however, she might enjoy a lot of alone time. What matters the most is that you both understand what “too much time alone” looks like to her and you merge that with your own concerns. If what’s really worrying you isn’t her socialization but whether she’s okay in her home, address the true issues.
Account for Health Issues and Changes
What is your senior’s health like? If she’s experiencing things like vision changes, cognitive changes, or a decline in her general health, it makes sense to have someone check in on her from time to time. In-home care providers can be on the lookout for possible health changes and keep you apprised of what’s happening. They’re also there to support your senior with the challenges she’s facing.
Assess Whether Your Senior Needs Help with Chores
If daily tasks are becoming more difficult for your elderly family member, having help from home care providers can make a huge difference in her daily life. Some tasks that you might not think about being difficult, like keeping up with light housekeeping, can be really draining for your elderly family member. Having help from someone else can allow her to free up her time and energy for other tasks.
Determine if She’s Eating Well
Your senior might also find it difficult to keep up with her daily needs if she’s not eating well. Her body needs healthy foods in order to keep itself healthy and running smoothly. But if your senior is having trouble with preparing foods, grocery shopping, and even remembering to eat, she’s likely not getting the nutrients that she needs. Caregivers can help with every aspect of getting healthy meals ready for your senior.
Bring in Friendly Helpers
If companionship is what your senior needs most, in-home care providers offer pleasant conversation, a friendly face, and someone to just spend time with on a regular basis. Too many seniors find themselves self-isolating because of the challenges that they’re facing. Having someone there who understands can mean so much to your elderly family member.
It can feel impossible to help your senior in all of the different ways that she might need help, especially if you don’t live in the same area as she does. That’s why being able to lean on in-home care can be so important. Their experience can help you and your senior to spot potential issues that you weren’t even aware were a problem for her.
Source
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/loneliness-and-social-isolation-tips-staying-connected
If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Littleton, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY Home Care of Parker. 303-953-9924
