What Is Companion Care and How an In-Home Caregiver Provides This Service

By Andy Niska | September 27, 2019 | Comments Off on What Is Companion Care and How an In-Home Caregiver Provides This Service
Does your loved one not get out much or is just in need of some companionship? Companion care is a service many caregivers provide, here’s what it is.

What Is Companion Care and How an In-Home Caregiver Provides This

As humans, our health is more than our heart rate or our cholesterol levels. Total health is the sum of physical, mental, and spiritual health.

When you grow older, your need for companionship and emotional support doesn’t change. Without it, you feel lonely.

Loneliness is as big of a health risk as obesity and smoking. It’s also a strong predictor of premature death.

Companion care provides emotional support for people who live alone. Who are companions, and how do you find one? Keep reading to learn more about home companion care.

What is Companion Care?

Companion care is a professional health service that provides companionship, socialization, and emotional support for seniors.

While the heart of companion services is emotional, companions also tend to help with non-medical services aimed at improving quality of life. A companion may help with:

  • Activities of daily living (ADLs) (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting)
  • Medication reminders
  • Grocery shopping
  • Chores

The role of any companion is to keep the client connected to society and improve their life.

What Other Services Can Companions Provide?

Companions can also provide services overnight. An overnight companion may stay awake overnight in the client’s house. They often assist the client in getting ready for bed and preparing breakfast when they get up in the morning.

Ultimately, every companion works according to their assigned senior’s needs to give them just the right amount of support and independence.

Who Benefits from Companion Care?

Everyone benefits from companionship. However, companion care services tend to target senior citizens who are independent enough to live alone but who may not have others who can commit to being a consistent presence in their life.

A senior can benefit from companionship even if they don’t need much help with physical care. Chatting and socializing regularly keeps them mobile and slows the potential for mental decline. 

How Do You Find Companion Care?

Companion care can be a healthcare service provided by paid employees or local volunteer service.

Companions don’t need certification or medical training. Among volunteers, their role can be as simple as helping the client get to the grocery store or taking them to the doctor. It can even be as simple as a conversation.

However, you should always work with an agency who vets their staff carefully and who can provide staff who are consistent. After all, companionship is all about building a connection.

Is Companion Care Right for Your Loved One?

We need companionship and socialization from age 0 to 100. Without it, life has less meaning, and we can physically and mentally deteriorate.

As our loved one’s age, they can benefit from companion care. Companion care encourages independence but also provides the vital, consistent emotional support that everyone needs to remain mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.

Is your family member in need of more support than you can give? Click here to learn more about supporting them with in-home care.

Andy Niska
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