How Does Home Care Assistance Help Mental Health?

Posted in Benefits of Home Care, Home Care |

March 1, 2023

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Aging adults need to be healthy physically and mentally in order to keep living their best lives. Sometimes the challenges that they are facing mean that they need a little bit of extra help in order to live the lives they want to live. Home care assistance providers can take over a lot of those tasks, which can be a great boost to mental health for aging adults.

Home Care Assistance Hartford AL - How Does Home Care Assistance Help Mental Health?

Home Care Assistance Hartford AL – How Does Home Care Assistance Help Mental Health?

Why Are Seniors Facing Mental Health Problems?

Seniors often have expectations about what life will be like when they’re older. They may also have some big goals, like aging in place for as long as they possibly can. In fact, most aging adults who want to age in place picture themselves never leaving their homes. For many, this is something that they can do, but they can’t necessarily do it alone. Having help from family caregivers and from home care assistance providers can make a big difference. The challenges that come with aging affect health, mobility, and every other aspect of seniors’ lives. Ultimately, those events can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues that need to be addressed.

Addressing Social Isolation

Social isolation is a massive cause of mental health issues in seniors. Many seniors don’t realize that they’ve become isolated until their mental health starts to deteriorate. Seniors who live alone or who are unable to participate in community activities like they used to may start to feel lonely and depressed. Mobility challenges and other health issues can also contribute to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Home care offers seniors a chance to interact with care providers on a regular basis, getting the socialization that they need.

Independence and Self-esteem

Some people find it hard to believe that home care assistance can be helpful in fostering independence, but it’s true. Seniors who are having more and more difficulty with normal daily activities can easily find themselves frustrated and battling self-esteem issues because of those challenges. Caregivers who help only when it’s truly necessary to enable seniors to continue to do the things that they’re able to do, while not experiencing self-esteem issues because of that help.

Improving Quality of Life with Home Care Assistance Aides

When people feel frustrated, lonely, and depressed, their quality of life deteriorates significantly. By choosing options like home care assistance providers stepping in to help out, those issues are addressed. Having the help that seniors need with household chores, meal preparation, and many other daily activities all contribute to a much stronger quality of life, which in turn benefits mental health.

The later stages of life can be a lot more complicated than aging adults expect them to be. There might be a lot less family involvement than they hoped would be available and health issues may be taking a bigger toll than expected. All of those difficulties can contribute to mental health challenges. But there are solutions that can help, like bringing in home care assistance to take care of some of those tasks and to offer companionship at the same time.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Assistance Services in Hartford AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900

Companion Care Makes Shopping And Errands Easier For Seniors

Posted in Benefits of Home Care, Home Care |

February 1, 2023

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Going shopping and running errands are things that many seniors enjoy. Those little trips give them a sense of purpose and get them out of the house. They also give seniors a chance to interact with people. And seniors who are aging at home like the independence of being able to go out whenever they want to go out. But as seniors get older and driving gets more difficult doing errands, going to appointments, and doing the shopping gets more difficult too. Seniors who have companion care at home services get to keep their independence and do their own shopping and errands with the help of a companion.

Companion Care at Home Elba AL - Companion Care Makes Shopping And Errands Easier For Seniors

Companion Care at Home Elba AL – Companion Care Makes Shopping And Errands Easier For Seniors

When seniors who are aging in place have companion care at home they aren’t left sitting at home alone all day. They have a companion to talk with, shop with, go out to lunch with, or go do errands with.

Some of the ways that companions can make shopping and errands easier for seniors are:

Driving

Seniors won’t have the hassles of a car share service or a taxi when they have companion care at home. Their companion can drive them wherever they need to go in comfort so that seniors won’t have the stress of trying to find a car, getting in and out of vehicles that may be difficult for them, or worrying about making sure they retrieve all their packages when they get out. Seniors in general greatly prefer running errands with a companion rather than trying to do them alone.

Helping Carry Packages

When seniors are out running errands they can rack up a lot of purchases. Even light grocery shopping can result in several bags of items. And if seniors are shopping for their pets that can mean heavy bags of food or boxes of litter. Clothes shopping, gift shopping, and picking up medications and household items at the pharmacy can also be part of an errand trip. Your senior loved one will appreciate having someone with them to help them carry and sort all their packages and items.

Taking A Break With A Companion Care At Home Aide

After a long period of shopping, getting their hair or nails done, and going to the post office or the mall your senior one will likely need a break. If your senior parent is alone they may feel too self-conscious to sit down and rest for a while even if they need a rest. But with a companion that is shopping with them, they can sit down and have a drink and a snack and a nice conversation with a friend while they rest. It’s a great way for seniors to stay connected to the world and enjoy getting out of the house.

Keeping Track Of Things

When seniors are going out to run errands they may be doing several errands at once. It can be confusing for them to try and keep track of the items they need to mail, bills that need to be paid, shopping lists, prescriptions that need to be picked up, money, and other items. With companion care at home, seniors have someone to help them stay organized and make sure they get everything they need.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Companion Care at Home Services in Elba AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900

Services Offered Through Elder Care Not to be Overlooked 

Posted in Benefits of Home Care, Home Care |

November 1, 2022

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Your dad lives alone, and you’re not nearby. As you look over his options when it comes to living alone and staying safe, elder care services are at the top of the list. These six services are essential when considering elder care.

Elder Care Dothan AL - Services Offered Through Elder Care Not to be Overlooked 

Elder Care Dothan AL – Services Offered Through Elder Care Not to be Overlooked

Assistance Running Errands Provided by Elder Care Aides

Your dad can’t drive or has a hard time shopping unassisted, but he still has errands to run. He can have a caregiver present to help him with his errands.

If he needs someone to help him pick up prescription refills, he’ll have that help. If he wants someone to read nutrition labels while he’s grocery shopping, that’s possible with elder care.

Companionship Visits

Your dad lives alone and doesn’t have a large social circle. If he doesn’t have people visiting often, he can get an elder care agency to send him a caregiver for companionship visits.

His caregiver can play games with him, join him on walks, and watch movies with him. If he’d like to go to a local museum or park for an outing, his caregiver can join him on that outing.

Housekeeping and Laundry Tasks

Your dad may not be able to clean his home appropriately for his safety. His caregiver can do all of the main housekeeping chores like vacuuming, dusting, dishes, sweeping, and wiping down counters.

Once a week or sooner if it’s needed, your dad will have a caregiver available to change and launder his sheets and clothing. His towels will be washed and dried. Clean towels will be hung for him.

Medication Reminders

Your dad may not remember when it’s time to take his medications or which to take. It’s okay if this happens as he can have a caregiver for medication reminders. His caregiver will let him know what he needs to take if he should take it with water or milk, and when to take them.

When his prescriptions need to be refilled, his caregiver can help him with medication reminders. If he needs to talk to his doctor to get the refill approved, his caregiver can help him.

Preparation of Meals and Snacks

His caregiver can help your dad plan a weekly menu, build a shopping list, and prepare meals and snacks. His caregiver can cook meals for him or involve him as much as he’d like to help out.

Elder Care Aides Provide Transportation to Appointments and Businesses

Your dad is unable to drive or struggles to get ready for appointments on time. His caregiver can help him get ready for an appointment, drive him to the office, and escort him to the registration desk.

While he’s in with his doctor or dentist, his caregiver will sit in the waiting room until he’s ready to leave. If he needs to schedule another appointment, his caregiver will help him schedule it.

Call our elder care agency to make arrangements for the services that benefit your dad. You want to choose services that help him live independently, even if you’re not around to help out.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elder Care Services in Dothan AL, please contact the caring staff at Wiregrass HomeCare today. Call us at 334-539-5900