Is your elderly loved one feeling lonely? As people age, they often lose a lot of the ways they used to have to stay connected with the world around them. They may find that friends or family either pass away or move away, making it difficult to find people to spend quality time with. Health issues may prevent them from being able to visit the places they used to go and do the things that brought them joy and feel like they had a purpose each day.
Staying Connected is Important to Alleviating Loneliness
While your loved one may not be able to connect and interact with the same people in the same way that she did for decades, it doesn’t mean she can’t find new ways to interact with her community. Loneliness often grows out of an inability to find purpose and connection each day, leading to isolation and feelings of being unworthy or unlikeable. The good news is your loved one can stay connected and some of them don’t even require her to leave the home.
Five Activities to Alleviate Loneliness:
1. Have a Companion Care at Home Provider visit the Home
Companion care at home does just that – it provides companionship in ways that help your loved one feel seen and heard. A companion care provider can connect with your loved one through meals, games, and even running errands. They can be an ear that listens and a shoulder for leaning on. Many seniors appreciate having a caregiver make regular visits and build true friendships with them.
2. Join a Club
Clubs are often in person, but nowadays, they can also be online – your loved one just may need a bit of help finding the perfect club for her and joining it. A caregiver can help your loved one if she finds a club or group she wants to join but needs transportation to and from to partake in the activities. They can also help your loved one if she wants to join an online club like a book club, a gaming group, or a social media platform to keep in touch with family and friends.
3. Volunteer
Many organizations need more volunteers to help them provide the services they do. If your loved one has a heart for any service groups, now might be a great time for her to volunteer for one. The possibilities are endless, from taking care of animals in a shelter, to handing out playbills at a theater, to serving food to the needy. Volunteering is a great way to connect with those right in her community.
4. Get Outside
In the nice weather, making a daily habit of walking to the local park to feed the birds or just enjoy the views from a bench, this is a great way to discover other people are doing the same and strike up conversations. Your loved one might make some new friends this way.
5. Start a New Hobby
Is there something your loved one always wanted to try but never had the time in her younger years? Many people start up new hobbies and discover new talents in their later years. While it might take a little bit of stepping out of her comfort zone, with the encouragement of family, friends, and a caregiver, your loved one will feel less lonely when she takes those first steps of connection.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at home in Lakewood, CO please contact the caring staff at FirstLight Home Care of Central Denver today at (303) 953-9575 FirstLight Home Care of Central Denver provides exceptional home care for seniors in Denver, Littleton, Westminster, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Lakewood, Golden, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Aurora and surrounding areas.