Social interaction is a big part of normal human life. When people grow older, though, they suddenly find themselves spending a lot more time alone than they used to. That increase in social isolation can have detrimental impacts on overall health and quality of life. One solution is for family caregivers to hire companion care at home to reduce senior isolation.
Mental Impacts of Social Isolation
The cognitive and mental health impacts of social isolation are huge for seniors. Social engagement helps seniors to maintain cognitive function and can lower the risk of future cognitive decline and possibly dementia. Seniors who have adequate social interaction are less likely to experience anxiety and depression because loneliness contributes to those conditions. When seniors don’t have the social engagement that they need, they can experience cognitive and mental health impacts very quickly.
How Isolation Affects Seniors Physically
Physical issues are also common for people experiencing social isolation. Physical impacts of isolation can be very cyclical, because as seniors become more isolated, physical issues can increase, but physical changes often make seniors more isolated. There’s a much higher risk of mortality for seniors who are isolated. Quality of life is drastically reduced, stress levels are greater, and that in turn has effects on the immune system, the cardiovascular system, and can lead to chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes.
Reasons Seniors Experience Isolation
Seniors can experience loneliness and isolation for many different reasons, including the loss of people they love, physical limitations, inability to continue driving, and more. When seniors aren’t as able to be physically mobile, they’re much more likely to stay at home and reduce contact with other people. As life becomes even more difficult, seniors may find that they have more trouble handling daily tasks like keeping their homes clean, which can cause them to self-isolate and become lonelier. Finding solutions for the actual causes of loneliness is really important.
Solving Isolation for Aging Adults
Help from home care providers can assist with transportation concerns, household tasks, and so much more. For seniors who simply need social engagement, companion care at home can be the right answer. Caregivers are able to spend time with aging adults, helping them to participate in more social activities, and encouraging them to maintain other connections in their lives. When family caregivers live farther away and aren’t able to stay on top of what’s happening with the seniors in their lives, caregivers who are able to be there in person can keep families better informed about changes seniors are experiencing.
Avoiding isolation can feel like a complicated goal for aging adults, especially if they don’t have family and friends who live near them anymore. Companion care at home is a perfect way to fill that gap, however, to reduce loneliness that can ultimately lead to isolation and much bigger health problems. It’s vital that seniors and family caregivers respond quickly to increased isolation and feelings of loneliness to help reduce the long-term impacts.
Excerpt: When seniors are spending way too much time alone, that isolation can create big problems. Companion care at home is one possible solution.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING COMPANION CARE AT HOME IN SARATOGA, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969
