Today, more seniors than ever are aging alone. As we age, spouses die, children move away and friendships grow apart. Beyond loneliness, which can lead to depression, cognitive decline and even dementia, living alone means seniors often don’t receive the life-saving help for the accidents they are prone to. Fortunately, there are a number of ways seniors can be cared for, even if they no longer have family to look after them.
Visit-A-Bit
Sometimes, weekly visits from a friendly face are all it takes to make a world of difference in a senior’s life. With unique senior visit programs like Visit-A-Bit, seniors not only get a healthy dose of companionship that keeps them cognitively stimulated and emotionally well, but volunteers also get a chance to make purposeful connections with a new senior friend. These visits are specifically curated with exercises and activities that ensure visits are intentional and meaningful.
Medical Alert Devices
One of the greatest concerns for seniors living alone is a medical emergency. The benefit of medical alert devices is that seniors can continue to live independently and without fear, knowing help is on the way with the push of a button. By simply wearing a medical alert device, seniors can have the peace of mind that allows them to live freely in their own homes. Today, technology has allowed for a variety of convenient, easy-to-use medical alert devices to choose from. If you're looking for St. Louis-based company, Extended Independence provides different types of medical alert devices, GPS's and medication-reminder systems.
Advanced Care at Home
Our Care At Home Private Duty Services, hand-delivers care to a patient’s residence and offers health services spanning from administering medication to household tasks like getting dressed for the day. Though our Private Duty services provide care in the home, this is separate from home health care - a medicare benefit where an agency sends a skilled nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapist, or medical social worker to a patient’s home, typically after surgery or other hospitalizations.
Care Facilities
A senior doesn’t have to have chronic medical conditions to receive care from a care facility. There are several different types of care facilities that range from skilled 24-hour care to minimal assistance, depending on a senior’s need. Those who need a heavier emphasis on medical care may consider a (skilled) nursing home for services like physical, occupational or speech therapy. Regardless of physical health, a relatively independent senior could still benefit from relocating to a care facility to ensure they have built-in access to companionship, which can be a crucial component of care. If you think it’s time to consider a senior living facility, there are great free resources such as Transitions for Senior Living, which walks seniors and their loved ones through the process of selecting the best senior community for them.
