It’s important to figure out if seniors are likely to be lonely or depressed so that they can get the right help and support they need. This is particularly important as loneliness and sadness can greatly affect their quality of life, leading to decreased health and less time spent with friends and family. Through thorough assessments, senior home care can determine if seniors are at risk and create specific plans to help them feel less lonely and depressed. Suggestions to help them assess seniors’ needs are considered below.
Ways to Determine if Seniors Are at Risk
It is important to evaluate seniors’ social support network strength and size. This includes determining if they have close family members, friends, and other social connections who can offer support, company, and chances to interact with others. By finding out how big and good their social network is, seniors who may be socially isolated and at risk for loneliness and sadness can be found. When the social network is smaller, seniors’ need for senior home care increases, providing the socialization they need.
Major changes in life, like retirement, the death of a spouse or close friend, a move, or a change in health, can greatly affect seniors’ mental health. It is important to consider how recent changes in a person’s life have affected their mood. It lets the senior home care team figure out who might be more likely to feel lonely or depressed during these times of change.
Assessing seniors’ activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) can give senior home care members an idea of how well they are generally doing. If these practical skills worsen, they are more likely to feel lonely and sad. Having trouble with simple tasks like bathing, dressing, or making meals can make seniors feel helpless and alone.
Additionally, problems with dementia or slight cognitive impairment can make seniors feel even more lonely and sad. Using the right screening tools to measure cognitive performance can help find seniors needing more help and interventions. It’s important to consider how their mental health affects their relationships with others and their personal well-being.
Getting Seniors Involved in Their Own Care
It’s important to determine what seniors’ personal likes, dislikes, hobbies, and interests can help guide programs that aim to make them more social and less lonely. By asking them about their favorite things to do and finding community programs, clubs, or support groups that match their hobbies, the senior home care team can help them feel less alone and more like they belong.
It’s also important to look at the physical surroundings where seniors live. Accessibility, safety, and closeness to social and community tools can all affect how they interact with others and how they feel overall. The seniors home care team can help seniors work past their barriers and live better lives by looking at how they live.
By doing a full assessment that considers all of these things, senior home care aids can get a full picture of how likely it is for seniors to feel lonely or depressed. This assessment can be a starting point for making personalized care plans that meet their unique needs and improve their social connections, mental health, and quality of life.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/isolation-impacts-everyone-heres-how-to-assess-your-risk
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557971/
If you are considering senior home care in Bay City, TX for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
At Your Side Home Care, provides exceptional home care for seniors and families in Houston, West Houston, Katy, Memorial, The Heights, Spring Valley, Garden Oaks, Hunters Creek, River Oaks, Hilshire Village, Galleria, Cinco Ranch, Spring Branch, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenburg, Piney Point, Bay City and surrounding areas.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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