What Are Senior Home Companion Services?

Senior home companion services are designed to help elderly individuals live in their home and still be able to keep up with sufficient social and medical support. These services allow older adults to remain in their residences and communities, so that they can age in place with dignity. Many senior home services offer a combination of live-in aides and professional companions. In some cases, one professional companion is hired to assist the senior in the common areas of the home, while another is available in the bedroom to provide assistance with personal care tasks, such as bathing, dressing, or grooming. A personal care assistant provides assistance with these tasks, but does not give medical or nonmedical care.

Senior home services also offer health care assistance. Many times, the health care needs of seniors are overlooked in an effort to preserve the senior citizen’s independence. Senior home services often have connections to various in-home healthcare specialists, including doctors, specialists, and nurses. When necessary, these individuals are able to refer their clients to the appropriate professionals. The health care needs of seniors can be quite different than the needs of younger individuals, and therefore the needs of these home services must be specific to the needs of each individual.

In order to ensure that senior home companion services are effective, they need to target their services at seniors who are in need of supervision and assistance in daily living activities. The majority of seniors who require live-in aide, usually require aide for bodily care and assistance with activities of daily living. Senior home companions also offer emotional support and companionship, helping seniors reduce the effects of aging. This helps seniors avoid the harmful social behaviors that are associated with the aging process.

The goal of senior home care services is to create a situation in which seniors are comfortable and are able to live independently. Some senior adults may not wish to live in a group home environment, but rather would prefer to live in a smaller space with more personalized care. In these cases, in-home care services can provide the assistance that a senior adult needs. Such services can include assistance with medical procedures and common everyday tasks such as grooming, laundry, bathing, dressing, and eating.

Many senior home companion services use a trained caregiver to assist seniors in their day-to-day lives. In most cases, the caregiver is either a member of the family or a close friend. The type of caregiver selected depends on the needs of the elderly person. The primary caregiver, or live-in caregiver, is responsible for the general well-being of the senior adult. Generally, this caregiver will have a direct contact with the senior adult and should have knowledge of his or her medical history and requirements.

Companion care can also include services such as housekeeping. In housecleaning is usually included in the companion services package. In housekeeping can be very demanding and may require the assistance of the live-in caregiver. However, many senior home companion services also offer housekeeping and laundry services in addition to the usual care giving duties. Other companion services may also include grooming, errands, shopping for groceries, and transportation to appointments and doctor appointments.

A few senior home care services also offer day confinement services. These are typically provided to those elderly individuals who do not need 24 hour supervision, but only need help at certain times of the day. Such services are typically provided by a different caregiver than those offered for in home caregiving. Some companies will hire a part-time caregiver to help during the day and have another live-in care provider during the night. In this way, the caregiver is not tethered to the senior home companion services full time and can go about his or her business and provide for their own needs.

It is important to remember that all senior home companion care service providers are bonded and insured. Therefore, it is important that you have a full understanding of their background and what they will do for you. Choosing the right company is also important. Look for those that have been in the business for a number of years, have a variety of caregivers on staff, and that have plenty of references as well as success in the field.