According to health experts, companionship, which can be described as the need to connect with others, is a basic need, just like water, food, and shelter. In fact, some social cognitive neuroscience experts believe we all have predispositions in our DNA that cause us to crave social connection.
And as it turns out, companionship is good for our overall health. For starters, studies show there is a connection between our relationships and our health. The healthier our relationships are, the healthier we tend to be physically.
The same applies when it comes to mental health – the more we become disconnected from human connection, the more we lose connection with ourselves. This disconnection makes it difficult to manage everyday stress and if not addressed in time, it can be the cause of mental illness.
Loneliness or lack of companionship is among the many health concerns affecting the elderly and persons who have been confined in their homes by sickness or any other reason. For seniors particularly, the biggest contributing factors of loneliness include:
- The death of a spouse.
- The fear of burdening/troubling their children and relatives.
- Illnesses.
- Difficulties in communicating.
- Children moving to far-flung places.
- The fear of falling if they go out alone.
- The decline of a friend network, usually as a result of death.
If you believe you or someone dear to you is struggling with loneliness, no need to worry because it is something that can easily be alleviated by the increased presence of friends and relatives.
For seniors and other people who are housebound for one reason or another, this can be achieved through our elderly companion care service. Some of the services that come with this particular package include scheduling and accompanying the client to social appointments and visitations with family and friends and just spending time with them talking, playing games, calling friends and relatives, reminiscing, watching movies, etc.
To us, a happy soul equals a healthy body, and the healthier our clients are, the more they are able to achieve their best level of independence. For this reason, cultivating friendships with our clients through our kindhearted and super friendly caregivers is among our topmost priorities.
Our elderly companion/homemaker services can include any or more of the following services:
- Mental stimulation activities ( playing games, reading out loud, playing games)
- Escort services (doctor appointments, pharmacy, church, errands, social events)
- Shopping
- Meal preparation
- Light housekeeping
- Walking pets
*These services can take place in the home, hospital, or nursing facility.
ROSEWOOD HOME CARE Companion/Homemaker Services are ideal for:
- The independent-minded adult needing assistance with house care duties
- The social butterfly that likes running their own errands but in need of transportation
- Someone to lift their spirits while at home, hospital, or nursing facility.
Get Started on Your Loved One’s Care Plan
Our care coordinators are eager to provide the right services for them. Count on us to always put their needs and preferences first. To start, please set an appointment.
Mental Stimulation Activities
We all know that our bodies need physical exercises/activities to keep fit and healthy. But did you know that our brains need exercise too if they are to remain healthy? This is because the brain doesn’t remain young forever – it ages as we age, and cognitive function changes with the process.
A big number of adults develop a certain degree of cognitive function as they age, with forgetfulness being among the most common symptoms exhibited. While forgetfulness is something we all experience from time to time, consistent forgetfulness, especially in seniors, may indicate mild cognitive impairment, a condition that may come with the following symptoms:
- Forgetting things more often.
- Forgetting important events and appointments.
- Losing the train of thought/storyline during conversations or when reading books, watching movies, etc.
- Experiencing difficulties in making decisions and understanding instructions.
- Getting lost in familiar environments.
- Having difficulty recalling the names of friends and relatives.
The good news is that many persons with mild cognitive impairment eventually get better with treatment. For others, the condition ceases to progress with treatment.
Mental stimulation, diet changes, and physical exercises have all been shown to promote good cognitive health, and in some cases, to reverse cognitive decline.
The mind-stimulating activities we offer here at Rosewood have all been recommended by cognitive health experts to help improve cognition functions like memory, creativity, problem-solving, and others.
These activities include but are not limited to:
- Word games – includes games like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, scrabble, and other word games the client enjoys.
- Puzzles – we try to choose puzzles that are not too complicated or too advanced to avoid frustrating our clients.
- Simple card games –we believe card games are especially good for memory retention and problem-solving functions. Some of these games may include Memory Match, Go Fish, Solitaire, Poker, and any other card games the client enjoys.
- Chess –chess and other strategy games can help stimulate almost all parts of the brain. Some of the strategy games we offer include chess and checkers.
- Reading – experts believe reading can prevent cognitive decline. If a client enjoys reading, we make sure to match them up with a caregiver who loves reading as well. That way, they can enjoy reading magazines, novels, newspapers, and other materials the client enjoys together.
- Knitting, sewing, video games, playing music instruments, and any other activity the client can perform with their hands.
- Simple physical exercises that the client enjoys, such as walking, light gardening, stretching, etc.
Escort Services (Doctor Appointments, Pharmacy, Church, Errands, and Social Events)
Still, there are those of us who are still young but due to declining physical and cognitive abilities, we are unable to keep up with the above-mentioned activities. When that happens, most families are left with two options – to institutionalize their loved one, i.e., to put them in an assisted living facility, or to have a family member provide escort and transportation services.
Our Escort Services are meant for any adult who needs them, and most especially seniors and other individuals who live alone and due to declining physical and cognitive abilities can’t get to doctors’ appointments or run errands without having to depend on friends and relatives.
With this particular service, the client gets to be transported and accompanied/escorted to and from the following places:
- Appointments – including medical appointments, social engagements, hair salon and spa appointments, etc.
- Personal errands – including grocery shopping, bank errands, dropping off and/picking up dry cleaning, pharmacy/drug store errands, post office errands, and more.
- Religious events – church services, synagogue and mosques visits, etc.
All our escorts/chaperones/caregivers are put through regular criminal background checks and are bonded and insured.
Shopping
For these individuals, shopping for groceries, toiletries, clothes, and other items is something they can’t accomplish on their own. Sometimes, shopping for a basic need like food without relying on friends or relatives becomes totally impossible. It’s often because of this that many seniors end up being moved into assisted living facilities – something that might have easily been avoided if they had someone trustworthy to shop for them and perhaps prepare their meals.
Some of the tasks that come with our shopping services include but are not limited to:
- Working together with the client and/or their families to create a shopping list.
- Accompanying the client to the shops.
- Shopping on behalf of the client.
- Putting away groceries, i.e., stocking the fridge and pantry.
- Assisting with online shopping.
- Picking up or dropping off packages.
- Accounting for the client’s money.
- And more.
All our shopping assistants/caregivers have been investigated thoroughly through regular background checks and other processes as per the strict regulatory requirements of the state. They have also been fully bonded and insured.
Light Housekeeping
Some of the safety benefits that families can gain by implementing good housekeeping habits include:
- Fewer slip and trip accidents as a result of clutter and spill-free walkaways and other surfaces.
- Fewer accidents of household members being injured by poorly organized or carelessly stored tools, equipment, and tools.
- Decreased fire hazards.
- Reduced exposure to dust, vapor, and mold buildup.
Our light housekeeping service is meant for seniors who want to live independently and other individuals who may require the service for any reason, and they come with the following benefits:
- They help our clients to maintain healthy homes without having to rely on friends and relatives.
- They help our clients to continue aging in place or recuperate from home by decreasing their risk of developing infections and acquiring serious injuries from home accidents.
- They provide the opportunity for family members to live their lives to the fullest, confident that their loved ones are living or recuperating in a clean and hygienic environment.
Some of the tasks that come with particular service include:
- Washing the dishes
- Clearing the table
- Drawing the bath
- Laundering towels, clothes, linens, etc.
- Making the bed
- Cleaning the bathroom
- Dusting surfaces
- Watering the plants
- Emptying the trash
- Sweeping and vacuuming
- Organizing the fridge, shelves, drawers, etc.
- Clearing clutter
- And other tasks that don’t involve heavy lifting, scrubbing floors, cleaning carpets, washing windows, raking, mowing the lawn, and other outside chores.
Walking pets/Pet Walking
On the other hand, a well-exercised pet tends to behave better, avoid unnecessary weight gain, and build self-confidence. A confident pet makes friends easily.
Our pet walking service comes with the following tasks:
- Walking the pet for a minimum of 30 hours daily.
- Disposing of any droppings during the walk.
- Making sure the pet is comfortable after walks, and that its basic needs, like food and water, have been met.
- Notifying the owner of any injuries or health changes observed in the pet.
- Grooming.
- Vet visits.
