Companionship Care – An Answer to the Growing Problem of Loneliness in the Elderly

When we think of care for an elderly or infirm person, we tend to think of care homes, nursing homes, or carers coming to the house to do daily tasks. One thing that often doesn’t come to mind is companionship care. But for many of the elderly, a companion is exactly what they need.   

Loneliness on the Rise Amongst the Elderly

Dementia, Alzheimer’s, illnesses and old age are usually the reasons people start to consider care and assistance for their elderly loved ones. What we forget is that loneliness is one of the fastest growing problems for elderly people in the UK.

As people grow older they can easily become more isolated. They lose friends and neighbours or lose their spouse or partner. Family can be a great support. But family members often live further away or have busy working lives that make them less able to visit and spend time with their loved ones. The result is that older people are more likely to remain on their own for longer periods, with fewer people to talk to and fewer social interactions to help them through the days. The result is increased loneliness and a spiral of other issues that loneliness causes.

Problems Associated with Loneliness 

The sad fact is that even the most vibrant and happy person can experience loneliness. Without contact with other people, we can easily become withdrawn, depressed and anxious. This, in turn, leads to a fear of going out and meeting new people. Once this starts, a vicious cycle has begun.

Over a long period, loneliness and isolation can cause a serious decline in health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that people who experience loneliness often suffer from high blood pressure. They also have a greater chance of developing dementia and a higher risk of early death.

Among other essential care services, companionship care can do incredible things to help keep loneliness at bay.

What is Companionship Care?

Companionship care is just what its name implies. A companion who will spend time with a someone who is on their own, to share experiences and personal stories. All of which will help them overcome their loneliness.

A companion carer essentially becomes a great friend to the person they are caring for. They will help to do the day to day tasks and activities the person needs, but they also commit to spending time with the person. At Right at Home, Stockport & Didsbury, our companionship carers always make a point of spending a good amount of time with their clients (always an hour or more). They are available to talk to, whether it’s about day to day things, the latest news, reminiscing about the past, discussing films and books, or even going through family history.

A companion carer might help the person make arrangements, watch films together, or play games, or do anything that will allow an elderly person to enjoy themselves. They become a trusted friend and someone the elderly person can truly rely on. 

How Companionship Care Can Help Your Loved One?

For many elderly people, carers are there to help with their day to day needs. They offer personal care, home help, or specialist Alzheimer’s and dementia care. In this way, they are absolutely crucial in supporting people in later life.

However, the value of companionship care should never be underestimated. Studies have shown, that show that these kinds of companionship stimulation can help delay the effects of dementia or Alzheimer’s.

But the biggest benefit is that it improves the quality of life of your elderly loved one. Companionship goes beyond just caregiving. A quality companion carer is someone that the elderly person not only looks forward to seeing but also is someone on which they can rely.

Companionship, encourage older people to feel more content and confident, and perhaps inspire them to do more things, and reduce any anxiety about the world outside their front door.

Right At Home Companionship Care

Among other essential care services, we offer a flexible and engaging companionship caring service. All of our caregivers are specifically matched to each of their clients through their interests and personalities, to ensure that the foundation of common feelings and opinions are there to build a solid friendship on.

This friendship is key to all of our companion carers, and we believe that this is the best way to truly tailor our care services to the wants and needs of each individual.

To find out more about what our companionship services involved, you can visit our care services page here.

Or if you’re interested in becoming a companionship carer and providing much-needed support to older people in our area, contact us here.