More and more seniors are healthy enough to live at home, but they need help with things like getting groceries or taking their medicine. They also need someone to talk to. If you work full-time and/or care for young children and have an elderly parent or other elderly relatives who need help during the week. This is where care from a friend or family member can be very helpful. Companionship for elderly is a service that helps seniors at home with non-medical tasks and gives them company.
What do care companions do?
Your elderly relatives’ companions can do many things for them, but they can’t take care of their health. Companions are different from a CNA (certified nursing assistant). They can, however, help seniors remember to take their medicines and do light housework and meal prep. They may also run errands for their clients, like going shopping or taking them to appointments.
One of the most important things they do is spend time with your elderly family member. They spend a lot of time with their elderly clients and can get close to them. They might take them to the park, sit with them in the yard, take them for a walk, play cards with them, or read to them. Everyone gets to know each other, and close bonds can develop. Even though an older person depends on their companion for a lot of day-to-day tasks, they can come to think of them as a family member.
Care companion qualifications
Different states have different training requirements for professional caregivers who are not family members. Some states don’t have any official rules. When you hire home care for elderly, you should ask the agency how they train their staff, if their caregivers have experience, and if they do background checks on their employees.
What companion care aims to do
Companion care has more than one goal. One goal is to help older people stay safe & independent at home for as long as possible. Most seniors and their families now think it’s best to stay in their own homes as they age. This is totally possible as long as the senior has a friend or family member with them every day to help and support them.
People are afraid to put a loved one in a skilled nursing care or assisted living facility, especially now that there is a pandemic. Companionship for elderly can be a lifeline for families who want to keep their elderly parents at home and in contact with only a few caregivers. This lowers the chance that their loved one will catch a virus that is going around a facility.
Another goal is to help seniors feel less alone, especially if they live alone because their spouse has died and none of their friends or family live close by. Depression is getting worse among older people. Depression can be made worse by being alone, and some seniors take pills or drink to feel better.
Elder companion care can give a much-needed break to family members who care for their elderly loved ones as much as possible during the week. For example, the companion caregiver may only come by twice a week, but that gives caregivers a chance to run their own daily chores or do something for themselves.
How can I pay for care for my elders?
Medicare usually only pays for care that is medically necessary (prescribed by a doctor), so companion care is usually not covered. Companions are not considered to be home health care aides. If your elderly relative qualifies for Medicaid, you may be able to get them a part-time or full-time helper. These helpers don’t give medical care, but they can help with things like bathing, cooking, and running errands like going to the store for groceries.
If you decide to go with companionship for elderly, check out a few agencies and compare their services and prices. Look at their online reviews and ask around on social media and in your community to find out which senior care service providers your fellows and neighbors have used. Would they suggest that company? Were they happy with how their loved ones were cared for?
Don’t forget that you’re hiring help not just for your loved one but also for your own health and peace of mind.
