Instead, the biggest priority we hear time and again is to ensure, without doubt, that a loved one or relative will be cared for with kindness, sensitivity, respect and dignity.
Home care is sometimes perceived as a like-for-like alternative to residential care or a practical and functional way to support somebody with everyday tasks like cleaning, laundry and meal preparation, but the power of friendship and combating loneliness can be just as impactful to quality of life as any form of domiciliary or personal care.
Today we’d like to talk about isolation, the harms this can cause even for those who are otherwise healthy and mobile, and why companionship care is a valuable resource, supporting family caregivers and taking care of the emotional welfare of care recipients alongside their practical well-being.
The Dangers and Real-World Damage Loneliness Can Cause
Nearly everybody has a better understanding of how damaging loneliness can be following the pandemic, when we experienced the effects on our mental health of social isolation, the inability to spend quality time together, or spending the vast majority of every day and every daily task alone.
Unfortunately, especially for older people, loneliness is still assumed to be a part of life, often because a spouse or partner has passed away, children have their own families and obligations, and getting out and about, driving, striking up new friendships, or joining clubs and groups is daunting, difficult, or impossible.
Varied research projects have quantified the impacts of isolation with just a few facts and figures illustrating the scale and seriousness of the problem:
- 3% of all adults in England aged over 65 go at least a week without speaking to anybody at all.
- Those adults are also three times more likely to experience persistent and ongoing loneliness.
- One in three people between 65 and 74 experiences hearing loss, which can mean that even listening to the radio, talking on the phone, or watching TV becomes difficult.
- Isolation and lack of conversation are associated with declines in cognition and mental health, with loneliness linked with a 40% rise in the risk of developing dementia.
That final point is incredibly important because the effects of loneliness are far from limited to emotional and mental well-being impacts. Social isolation has been shown to contribute to higher rates of depression and anxiety, declines in cardiovascular function, poorer cognition, and a lower immune function, among many other physical side effects.
How Is Home Care Support Able to Tackle Loneliness and Isolation?
Home care is fully tailored to every individual, couple or family. Although it is often perceived as a visiting service to help with medications, meals and cleaning, we often speak with families who want the peace of mind that a much-loved older relative isn’t sitting at home alone for extended periods, struggling with a daily routine without any help, or finding it harder to feel motivated or experience enjoyment—particularly during the colder, darker winter months.
Importantly, there is no blueprint or universal, one-size-fits-all format for home care.
The way we arrange home care will vary depending on the number of times per week or day you’d like a friendly, trained carer to visit, the amount of time you’d like them to be in your home or that of a loved one, and when you feel support and companionship would make the biggest difference.
For example, companionship care could involve:
- Regular drop-ins throughout the week, spending an hour or two to check that the individual is happy and well, has taken their medications, has plenty of meals and snacks, and is comfortable, warm and safe.
- Periodic visiting care to assist family caregivers, such as organising a carer to visit on the same day every week when family members have other commitments, or creating a schedule or rota to guarantee a loved one will never spend a full day without a visitor.
- Care visits that cover a range of services, where carers might manage domiciliary tasks like laundry, cleaning and tidying, offer personal care to help with washing and dressing, and assist with getting out and about, heading to the shops, collecting groceries or attending groups, church services or clubs.
The nature and structure of care and support are always shaped by your wishes and requirements, or the preferences and privacy of the care recipient, but the outcomes for those already experiencing or at risk of loneliness can be profound.
Adults who have regular conversations, can ask for help with anything they’re struggling with, and have somebody to talk to about their day, thoughts, feelings and plans keep their brains active and agile.
What Is the Contrast Between Companionship Care and Other Types of Home Care?
As a network of home care providers, we recognise that many people want to stay independent in their own homes in familiar surroundings but benefit from the warmth, attentiveness, and reliability of professional carers—many of whom become trusted friends.
As we’ve touched on, companionship is a specific type of home care service. However, it isn’t a case of either-or, nor are personal care support, domiciliary help at home, or companionship care mutually exclusive.
Rather, we ask you to contribute to care planning so we understand how, when, and in what way our care teams can best support you or your loved one.
For most of the families and individuals we support, companionship is a natural aspect of any care service, even if this isn’t the primary reason they have arranged care. We recruit qualified, passionate CareAngles who are dedicated to their roles and offer incredible kindness and warmth, which means any care visit is very likely to include all the benefits companionship offers!
This is all made possible due to our process of matching carers and recipients to look for care professionals with shared interests or hobbies and detailed planning that sets out all the vital details—what you like and don’t like, the tasks you prefer to complete independently, and your preferences in terms of entertainment, visiting times, meals and flavours, and regular routines.
As always, if you are concerned about a loved one experiencing isolation, want to discuss your companionship care needs, or would like more information about how we structure care, please get in touch with your nearest Guardian Angel Carers branch, who will be happy to answer all your questions.