More than a third of seniors suffer from feelings of loneliness and isolation. Percentages are even higher for seniors who are dealing with mental health issues, or who have health complications that require them to stay home. No one wants to spend their golden years feeling alone and bored. There are ways to combat these feelings and help seniors live more vibrant lives.
Causes of Loneliness in the Elderly
Everyone feels bored and lonely from time to time, but senior citizen boredom and loneliness can become long-term issues. There are several reasons for this, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging. Seniors can feel isolated due to infrequent contact with people outside of the home. This infrequent contact can be because of health issues that keep the senior homebound, loss of social contacts due to retirement, or a change in social circles.
- The antidote for loneliness is loving companionship.
- The antidote for helplessness is to create the opportunity to give as well as receive care.
- The antidote for bored seniors is to imbue life with variety and spontaneity.
How to Reduce Loneliness in the Elderly
Whether you’re a senior yourself or have an elderly family member you want to help, the first step is figuring out what will actually reduce loneliness. Not every solution will work for every senior. Natural extroverts might love the idea of volunteering, but introverts might be happier with one-on-one get-togethers. It’s also worth remembering that it’s possible to feel lonely even when someone is surrounded by people; it’s the type of interaction that matters most. And the only one who knows what will truly help is the person who’s feeling lonely.
Here are some ideas for reducing loneliness and isolation in seniors:
- Volunteer for an organization or cause
- Join a group or club, such as a bird-watching club, knitting circle, book club, or church group
- Reach out to family and friends to plan get-togethers
- Consider getting a pet for companionship
- Take neighborhood walks (if it’s safe to do so)
- Talk more often to family and friends, even if it’s via phone, email, or video chat
- Start a project. This can be starting a garden, writing a book, or learning something new. Any project that keeps a person interested and engaged can reduce feelings of loneliness.
How In-Home Care Can Help Loneliness
Professional, in-home caregivers can be a lifeline for seniors dealing with loneliness, isolation, or feelings of helplessness. Hiring a caregiver is a great solution, whether the senior is home-bound due to health issues or doesn’t have family or friends available to spend time with. Not only can they ensure seniors stay safe and healthy, but they can also provide much-needed companionship.
Some elderly people may balk at this idea, protesting that they don’t need someone to “babysit” them. That’s not what modern caregiving has to be, and communication with a caregiver is essential to ensuring a senior gets the type and level of interaction they want. Ideally, seniors should be engaged and active in their lives. A caregiver can support them, while hopefully also making their days a bit brighter.
A Philosophy to Fight Loneliness and Senior Boredom: The Eden Alternative®
The Eden Alternative® has a principle-based philosophy with a goal of eliminating loneliness, boredom, and helplessness, which it calls the three “plagues” that account for suffering among the elder population. The antidote for these plagues is found in their principles of person-direct care:
“In Eden Alternative philosophy, we define care as helping another grow,” said Laura Beck, Learning and Development Guide for the Eden Alternative®, a non-profit organization that provides education and consultation for organizations across the continuum of care. “From our perspective, the tendency out there is that care is treatment alone. The truth is, we all require care all the time and may not require treatment all of the time.” Put another way, caregiving is not just about giving medical attention.
What does this look like in a caregiving situation? It means that the person receiving care is active and involved. Maybe they’re preparing meals or doing chores alongside their caregiver. Maybe they’re completing household tasks while chatting with a caregiver. When they’re out running errands, what they do is guided by the person receiving care; the outing isn’t just a list of tasks to get done.
A good caregiver will talk to those they care for openly about exactly what type of care they need, and do their best to meet those needs.
Compassionate In-Home Care and Companionship from Homewatch CareGivers
If you or a loved one are dealing with feelings of isolation or loneliness, our compassionate caregivers can help. Not only can they assist with things like grooming, dressing, medication management, and transportation, but they can also provide genuine companionship.
Find out how a caregiver can help combat loneliness; contact us or call 888-404-5191 today to schedule a free in-home consultation.
