Senior Care Coral Gables FL
Isolation can be an extremely dangerous issue for your senior parent. Studies have shown that suffering from loneliness and isolation dramatically increases the chances of an elderly adult suffering from premature death. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk of mortality as much as smoking, and twice as much as obesity.
Along with loneliness and isolation come depression, anxiety, and loss of motivation. This means that they are vulnerable not just to mental and emotional health consequences, but to physical consequences as well. Helping your senior to avoid this isolation is vital to improving their health and protecting their quality of life as they age in place.
Some of the ways that you can help your senior loved one avoid isolation include:
• Plan calls. Particularly if you live at a distance from your parent, you might not get to see them as often as you would like to. While you might not be able to increase the amount that you can be with them, you can reach out to them and let them know how much you care about them by planning calls. Schedule phone calls with them regularly so that they have something to look forward to and feel as though they are staying in touch with you.
• Get them involved. Adult learning, clubs, and other organizations are fantastic for helping an elderly adult keep up their social interaction and prevent loneliness. Talk to your elderly parent about their passions and interests and encourage them to get involved with others who share these interests or passions. This helps to ensure that they interact with people on a regular basis and can enjoy building relationships with those who share similar interests to theirs.
• Build a care network. Simply because you are the primary caregiver for your elderly adult does not mean that you are the only person who should be involved with them. Build a care network of friends and family members who can come by and see your parent, plan activities and outings with them, and otherwise keep up their interaction for improved health and well-being.
Home care can be a fantastic way to help your senior parent avoid isolation or to recover from it should they already be struggling with loneliness and isolation. An in-home senior care services provider is not just a valuable source of physical assistance and encouragement for your parent. This care provider can also offer dedicated companionship and support that addresses their loneliness and isolation, helping to improve their mental and emotional health and give them a higher quality of life as they age in place.
This care provider can help your loved one by planning and participating in activities with them, encouraging them to get out of the home more often, and enabling them to be a part of activities such as adult learning opportunities, clubs, and organizations by providing safe and reliable transportation. This can help you to feel more confident that your loved one is going to be able to have the quality of life that they desire and deserve.
Source: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/08/14/healthy-aging-preventing-isolation
