The holiday season isn’t always joyous. For seniors who live alone with friends and family far away, or those who have recently lost a spouse, the holidays can be a very lonely time. Seniors already have a high risk of becoming socially isolated. During the holidays, seniors may stop going out, stop calling friends and family members, and retreat into feeing lonely or sad. But there are some things you can do to help your senior feel connected, loved, and not alone during the holiday season. Use these tips to make the holiday season less lonely for a senior loved one:

Bring in Companion Care At Home

Companion care at home is a fantastic option for seniors that don’t have family members close by. When seniors have companion care at home they have daily visits from something that they can talk with, go out to eat with, go shopping with, go to movies with, or share meals with at home. Having regular company to chat with and socially connect with can prevent seniors from becoming isolated, lonely, and depressed. Companion care at home is available everywhere so even senior that don’t live in major cities can access it.

Send Care Packages

When was the last time you sent a good old-fashioned care package? Your senior parent or relative would love to receive a holiday care package on a weekly basis. Packages should contain a mixture of handpicked items that your senior loved one might need or just enjoy. Include things like homemade cookies or treats, warm socks and slippers, good books in large print edition so they are easy to read, craft materials, lots of photos, and any other things that you think they would enjoy. You should make it a mission to send out a big care package to your senior parent or loved one once a week during the holiday season.

Stream Holiday Parties

If your senior loved one can’t come to your holiday parties because they live far away, or if they don’t want to attend parties in person because they are worried about getting sick, you can stream your holiday parties. When you stream a party your senior loved ones can enjoy seeing your home decorated for the holidays and chat with friends and family just like they could if they were actually physically at the party. You can send them snacks and treats in a care package so that they can enjoy some great food while they chat with guests on a webcam or phone video chat.

Daily Phone Check-Ins

You can also schedule a routine five minute check in call with your senior parent everyday. Those quick five minute calls are a fantastic way to help seniors stay connected and let them know you are thinking about them. And they get the chance to hear a friendly voice and have someone ask how they are doing and how their day was. You will feel better knowing your senior loved one is ok and they will feel better knowing someone cares enough to check on them daily.

Look Beyond the Holidays for Support from Companion Care at Home

The holidays are just one of the many times that a senior can begin to feel lonely living alone. Companion care at home can be there to offer your senior companionship, mobility assistance, transportation, meal preparation and more. Once the holidays are over, you can feel confident that your senior parent is cared for and has a friendly face to visit with them on a daily basis. Consider the many benefits of companion care at home for your senior today.

Source
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html

If you or an aging loved one is considering companion care at home in Eden Prairie, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.