Many elderly people sadly face a life of loneliness, where television becomes their main companion. As we get older we become less mobile and so less likely to spend time out of the home. Spouses and friends begin to pass away and family members often move away meaning that home can become a lonely place. Deteriorating hearing and vision can make it very hard to interact with new people and sufferers can find it embarrassing and frustrating in social situations, therefore become more inclined to isolate themselves at home. Unfortunately, the reality of loneliness is that it is harmful to our health. People who suffer from chronic loneliness have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease and loneliness can double our chances of developing dementia.
How can live-in care help?
Although moving into residential care means that you have a ready-made community of people, and organised activities to take part in, the reality is that everybody in the care home is unfamiliar. Elderly people who suffer with illnesses like dementia find that their communication skills deteriorate and this makes it much harder to connect with new people. Dementia sufferers, in particular, take comfort from familiarity and routines which is harder to recreate in residential care than at home.
Live-in care means that you have somebody living with you in your home 24/7. This means that you have a constant one to one home care companion to interact with. The beauty of having a live-in carer is that you can remain in your own home, and with the help of a carer, can retain some of the independence and mobility that enables social interaction and reduces the opportunity for loneliness. Staying in your own house means that you are close to friends and neighbours who are more likely to call round and see you if you are nearby. Living with a carer means you have somebody at home to facilitate visits to other people as well. If you are mobile enough you may be able to visit local shops and parks where are you can continue to see local landmarks and familiar faces. All of this helps to maintain a sense of belonging and familiarity.
Although a carer will be a stranger initially, self-employed live in care jobs are usually filled to ensure that they share hobbies and interests in an attempt to nurture a friendship between employer and employee. Spending so much time together means that a bond is usually formed very quickly and a carer becomes a friendly face to chat and reminisce with. This is great for exercising the brain and alleviating feelings of loneliness. Pets are also a excellent source of companionship and having a carer to help with pet care means that your existing pet, or even a new pet can stay with you at home which is another source of comfort.
In short, while a care home offers a sociable environment, live in care can also ensure you have a companion to stave off loneliness, whilst allowing you to stay in your own home.
