The Benefits of Encouraging Frequent Visits from Friends and Family in Your Parent's Elderly Care Experience
Elderly Care in Wilmette IL
Getting older can be an extremely isolating experience. As a person ages they are often less capable of getting out of the house and engaging in the activities that they once did. This can be because they do not have the physical ability to leave the home as often, they are not driving, or they have lost friends and family who made up a large part of their social engagement. This isolation can have many negative effects on your aging parent’s health and wellbeing, including increased risk of depression, anxiety, and loss of motivation, which can make your parent experience a faster rate of physical decline.
Encouraging frequent visits from friends and family as your parent ages in place can be extremely meaningful and beneficial for your loved one. Some of the ways that these visits can improve their health and even their care include:
- Visiting with others stimulates their mind and encourages use of their critical thinking, cognitive processing, and memory skills.
- Spending time with others boosts emotional health and helps to provide a sense of involvement and importance in the world around them.
- Having friends and family visit reminds your parent that they are loved and that they carry meaning for other people. This not only makes them happier, but it can also encourage them to cooperate more with their care efforts, supporting better physical health and wellbeing.
- As their primary caregiver you are in touch with your parent regularly, possibly daily. This close engagement can make it so that you do not notice small changes in them or in their home. Having others visit regularly can give you a different perspective on your care and your parent’s condition.
Especially if your aging loved one is coping with a variety of cognitive, physical, and other limitations or challenges, it can seem daunting to welcome friends and family into the home. This is when having an elderly care provider with you can make an incredible difference. This elderly health care services provider can help to improve your parent’s visits with friends and family in many ways, including:
- Helping them get ready. Even if it happens a couple of times a week, visits from friends and family are special occasions. You want your parent to look and feel their best. A care provider can help your parent bathe, get dressed, and groom themselves so that they feel prepared to welcome their visitors.
- Helping them prepare the home. Even seniors with limitations and challenges want to feel like they are taking care of their own home, especially when they are welcoming guests. This elderly care provider can help your parent neaten up the home and even prepare simple refreshments that they can offer their guests. This gives them an emotional boost and makes the visit feel more like an event rather than just a passive experience.
- Helping them with personal care. When friends and family are visiting, your parent may still need assistance with certain tasks and needs. This care provider can be there to continue giving this care and support. That way your parent gets what they need without having to disrupt the visit. If you are present this will allow you to continue to entertain the guests while your parent receives the needed assistance, such as toileting, changing clothes, or getting a treatment reminder.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Wilmette, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
- 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Try To Move A Senior Parent Alone - November 20, 2024
- Senior Care Tips and Legal Guidance at Belmont Village Event - November 19, 2024
- An Extra Hand for Your Loved One During the Holidays - November 13, 2024