Elderly Care in Kirkland, WA
Creating a plan for contact is not just in the case of an emergency any longer. The need for elder care workers and family members to know the various technological gadgets and tools available in today’s consumer marketplace is essential for keeping aging loved ones connected with family. This is the best way to combat loneliness and ward off depression in the 21st century.
Loneliness is Dangerous
A serious issue among aging seniors is loneliness. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 10 million elderly Americans who are ages sixty-five or older are living alone. This same census report also cites that, on average, lone individuals live in one in four homes in the United States. This statistic alone is reason enough why a family contact plan is an excellent way for communication to remain active with elderly care family member no matter if they are thousands of miles away, or just around the corner.
Virtual Technology Has Benefits
Instilling a family contact plan as a way to communicate with aging loved ones during their home senior care routines not only battles loneliness and depression, but it also provides peace of mind. In this day and age, technological advances makes it possible to speak, view, and hear family members while they are receiving in home care.
Virtual Family Dinner: thanks to using cameras (webcams), microphones, and computers, a family that is scattered throughout the entire country can sit down to enjoy a dinner together. An alert will sound off by the system each time a family joins the meal.
Digital Frames: Companies like CEIVA, for example, are digital photo receivers that allow solitary elders to remain connected to family. The digital frame hooks up to either a broadband or WiFi connection so other users can send photos from anywhere throughout the country or even around the world.
Presto Email Service: this email service does not require use of a computer in order to enjoy communication. The only thing family members have to do is hook up the Presto Printing Mailbox up for their loved one in their home for them, and they will be able to receive communications. These communications include printed photos, reminders, and letters “emailed” through their phone line and into their Presto Mail machine.
The Family Contact Plan
Technology should not be the only way family members stay connected to their aging loved ones during in-home care. There should be the creation of an additional plan that includes traditional mail, telephone calls, and in-person visits. That way, there is daily contact occurring between family members and their aging loved one in one form or another.
Final Thoughts
Combat loneliness by being helpful to aging loved ones during their elderly care. Offer daily communication. Remain connected to gaining loved ones one way or another, even if family members can’t be there in person, on a daily basis. Reduce the risk of aging loved ones becoming depressed or lonely by taking advantage of all technological gadgets and tools available. Even receiving a card with two or three sentences written on it or a voicemail that simply says, “I’m thinking of you,” makes a stronger impact that most believe.
Source
http://www.census.gov/prod/1/pop/p23-190/p23-190.pdf
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Kirkland, WA, or the surrounding areas, please contact SYNERGY HomeCare of Bellevue at 425-462-5300.
