Caring for aging adults at home is incredibly rewarding for family caregivers, but they also need to be careful not to burn themselves out. Emotional and physical exhaustion are the precursors to burnout, but they can be avoided. The problem is that family caregivers often worry about leaving their seniors alone, so they take far less time away from caregiving than they should. Companion care at home means that there is someone else there, so family caregivers can relax and take time away when they need it.

Why Is Companion Care at Home Important?

Companion care is a special type of home care. The focus isn’t on hands-on caregiving tasks as it is with senior care. Instead, companion caregivers spend time with aging adults, offering emotional support and companionship. The big goal with this type of care is alleviating loneliness and ensuring that seniors have someone there with them. They might have companion caregivers around for a few hours once in a while or consistently throughout the span of a week.

Respite and Support

One of the biggest benefits for family caregivers and aging adults is that companion care at home offers both respite care and emotional support during caregiving. Caring for a senior family member is often a full-time commitment, on top of other commitments that family caregivers are often juggling. When family caregivers know that there is reliable help available that can stay with seniors while they take time for themselves and for other obligations, it’s easier to spend that time.

Quality of Life While Aging in Place

Companion care at home offers a variety of benefits for aging adults, too. Seniors who are choosing to age in place value the independence and familiarity of being at home. But they need help avoiding social isolation, too. It often isn’t as easy as it used to be for them to get out and about, meeting and interacting with other people. Companion caregivers make it much easier for seniors to get the social engagement that they need.

Integrating Companion Caregivers

Getting used to companion caregivers might mean adopting some strategies to help. First, it helps to get a good look at what seniors truly need in terms of companionship. Do they enjoy longer visits or shorter ones? Do they want to engage in activities, like crafting or playing games, or do they just want to engage in conversation? Communicating openly about what is helpful and what isn’t can help seniors, family caregivers, and companion caregivers all know how to adjust for the best possible experience.

Companion care at home offers support for family caregivers who need to be able to take time away. But these caregivers also help seniors to get the emotional support and companionship that they need. All of this helps family caregivers to take the steps they need to take in order to avoid burning out. Families help to ensure that seniors are getting support and care so that they can thrive as they age in place.

If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Potomac, MD, please contact the caring staff at Care At Home today. 301-970-9706

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Ann Smith RN

Owner at Care at Home

Ann Smith, RN, Realtor® Your local Home care and Home transition expert Ann is a Registered Nurse and a Realtor with a passion and dedication to serving her community. She has over twenty years of nursing experience in pediatric, geriatric, home health care, and care management. She founded Care at Home, a home care company, to provide seniors with services that promote independence and safe aging in place. Ann is dedicated to helping seniors achieve stress-free retirement living by providing comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's mother instilled in her the value of hard work, dedication, and service to others at a young age, which is now a driving force in her home care agency. Her caring and compassionate work with seniors began when she was just 17 years old. She was offered a job as a caregiver. Just as quickly, she instinctively knew that this would be her life's work. She soon became a nurse and has since helped many older adults transition seamlessly into a new phase of life. While helping seniors and individuals with their home care needs, it became apparent that part of the transition process often involved selling their current home for more suitable living arrangements. That's when Ann decided to add real estate services to alleviate stress and enhance her client's experience. It's also how she became known as the Home Transition Agent. Today, Ann helps her mature clients achieve stress-free retirement living by providing in-home care and comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's love for children and dedication to helping families caring for children with chronic health conditions inspired Pediatric Care at Home, a division of Care at Home that provides pediatric nursing care. Ann and her team are dedicated to providing compassionate care to all, from infants to older adults. When Ann isn't busy helping her patients and clients, she volunteers her time at women's shelters and fostering dogs. She and her veteran husband enjoy a simple life in the countryside, where farm animals and country life surround them. Ann also enjoys reading, photography, gardening, and nature walk with their dogs.

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