Companionship and Elderly Mental Health - Let's Talk About Depression

Companionship and Elderly Mental Health - Let's Talk About Depression

Most of us believe that care needs to focus on the mind, body and spirit. When seniors are lonely, they become depressed, just like you and me. Humans need companionship, but we also need the right kind of companionship. Perhaps like you, I am a strong believer in matching a caregiver's personality with that of their client, and I find it so unfortunate that many home care companies don't focus on this. Matching client personalities ensures a positive relationship, stronger mental health, and a stress-free situation for home care workers. Everyone wins.

Yes, it takes a little longer to find the right caregiver, but that's okay because in good home care companies they have found that this prevents sales, which is one of the complaints many in the industry have. A true camaraderie scenario where the client is treated like family. The best way to accomplish this is to create an appropriate match so that both the nurse and the client see each other as family. It's best if it's a one-way street.

There was a very good research study in the “Journal of Health Psychology” published by the American Psychological Association in 2011 (Citation: Volume 30, No. 4, 377-385. DOI: 10.1037 / a0022826). The research is titled; “Loneliness, social isolation, and behavioral and biological health indicators in older adults” by Aparna Shankar, Anne McMunn, and Andrew Steptoe. Finally, the research paper states:

"Loneliness and social isolation may independently impact health through their impact on health behaviors. In addition, social isolation may also impact health through biological processes associated with the development of cardiovascular disease."

For those who work as caregivers, they are hardly surprised. In fact, industry experts have been saying this all along. The families of older people tell us that they too are worried, and this is often one of the main reasons why they turn to a home care company. I hope you understand and agree with me, the families and empirical scientific research.

I believe no one should have to be lonely in old age. We are here to serve and are excited to help our customers live happy, healthy, and compassionate lives. As our population ages, these issues come to the fore, and it is our responsibility to ensure that everyone involved is served fairly and treated with dignity. Please do your research and think about the people you know who are in need. We must make such positive steps a reality for everyone.

Inspired by Lance Winslow