Santa Clarita Seniors Get Lonely Leading to health Concerns
As your parent ages, chances are you have a number of concerns regarding their health and safety. You may even take precautionary steps to ensure they have emergency response tools in place, such as panic or emergency buttons and a quality security system. You may have organized their medications to ensure they do not overdose and have gone through their home to check for any potential hazards. While this is all important, there may be a very important issue that you have overlooked, which may be damaging their health: are they lonely?
According to the Administration of Aging, there were over 11 million seniors in the United States who were living alone in 2010 and this number has continued to grow. While your senior loved one may value their independence and want to stay in their own home, extended periods by themselves, can actually be hurting their health.
What are the Health Risks of Seniors Living Alone?
Loneliness may result in isolation and depression, which can result in a number of physical issues, such as a loss in their mobility, which may result in them being unable to live on their own. In many cases, living alone can result in seniors having to move to a senior living facility.
The fact is that even though seniors may have church, a family caregiver that stops by frequently and even a pet to care for, they still feel lonely, which can lead to depression.
The good news is that there are things that you can do to help your senior loved one cope with loneliness.
Helping Your Senior Loved One Deal with Loneliness
There are a number of steps you can take to help your loved one overcome the feelings of loneliness they are experiencing:
- Enroll them at the local senior center for art, exercise or other classes.
- Be sure there are regular visits to the senior. You can receive assistance with this through your church or other organization.
- Sign them up for meals on wheels.
- Ask your family members and friends to call, send letters or just stop by.
- Help your senior parent or loved one schedule their week so they know they will have something going on each day.
- Get them a pet.
- Teach them about technology so they can interact with others.
One of the most effective ways to ensure that your senior is happy and well-cared for is to utilize the services of an in home care service in Santa Clarita. In home caregivers can not only help with tasks such as errands and house cleaning, they can also become a companion for your loved one, helping to reduce the loneliness that they feel. For more information on in home caregivers, contact Comfort Keepers today.
Comfort Keepers
23900 Lyons Avenue
Santa Clarita, CA 91321
661-287-4200
