How Different Home Care Services Improve Longevity in Seniors
Everyone wants to know how to live a longer, healthier life. As it turns out, there are some clear answers about how to add years to seniors’ lifespans. Home care services are an invaluable resource for the aged, helping them stay in their own, comfortable environment. Research shows this can significantly increase life expectancy. Here’s how the different home care services can improve both length and quality of life.
Healthy Meals
Fueling our bodies with proper nourishment is essential throughout our lives, but many older adults struggle with shopping, cooking, or even remembering to eat regular meals. Home care services can assist with everything from grocery shopping and meal planning to cooking. This helps keep energy levels up and strengthens the immune system.
Correct nutrition can even improve mood and memory. In some areas, seniors can qualify for discounts on meals delivered to their homes. For example, with home care in Geelong, many local food delivery services offer up to 70% off.
Home Medical Care
Home medical care is designed to help seniors with health management. For aging bodies and the chronic conditions that accompany them, simply keeping on top of pills and tablets can be a challenge. Factor in doctors’ visits, trips to the hospital, and other medical appointments, and it’s easy to see why a person might forget a correct dose or miss a checkup.
A home care nurse or allied health professional can help seniors manage medication, redress wounds, and monitor conditions like heart disease or diabetes. They play a critical role in spotting early signs of illness and preventing small issues from becoming serious problems.
Personal Care
Self-care looks different as we age; simple tasks like doing your hair or shaving may be rituals in your youth. However, in old age, even basic personal care can become difficult. Losing the ability to do these activities can have a big impact on mental health.
Carers can assist with everything from bathing to hair styling, which lets seniors feel like themselves again. Just showering and dressing in freshly laundered clothes can completely overhaul a person’s confidence. This type of help allows many older people to stay at home and maintain feelings of independence for longer.
Social Support
Emotional and physical well-being are intertwined, and social connection is just as important as looking after your body. Seniors who stay socially active have lower risks of life-threatening and degenerative conditions like depression, dementia, and heart disease.
Home care also comes in the form of companion services, which include things like regular visits, conversations, and help joining community activities. Loneliness can be lethal, so maintaining social connections is critical to longevity. Regular social interactions also make a big difference in maintaining a sense of purpose, belonging, and friendship.
Endnote
Home care services help older adults remain in their own homes for longer. This allows them to maintain their independence and confidence, which has incredible knock-on effects on physical health. Home care services often extend lives by years by enabling seniors to live a better quality of life. Ultimately, it’s about helping seniors feel happier, healthier, stronger, and connected with the community, so they can make the most of every day.
Photo by Claudia Love on Unsplash