Aging brings with it complications that neither you nor your senior might have expected. One such complication is that your elderly family member might not be getting all of her emotional needs met, especially around socialization. Here are some solutions you might want to consider.
Why Is Socialization Something to Consider?
Humans are social creatures and if your elderly family member is spending a lot more time alone than she used to, she could be feeling the impact of that. Often people who are isolating themselves feel lonely and start to experience other issues, like anxiety and depression. Your elderly family member may not be able to be as socially engaged as she used to be, which means you might need to become a little more creative to help her.
Talk to Your Senior about How She Wants to Socialize
A lot of this involves your senior’s own needs and wants. Everyone has different requirements for socialization. Some people are introverts and only need a little bit of interaction with other people. Other people might need a lot more social interaction. Meeting your senior’s needs properly means understanding her needs, and that requires talking with her about what she’s feeling and what she wants.
Work Out Solutions with Family and Friends
If your aging family member is lucky enough to have family members and friends living nearby, it might be good to talk with them about how they can spend more time with your senior. Even if what they can do is to call more often, that can help somewhat. Setting up a group calendar that everyone can check in on might be a good way to help spread out some of the events.
Companion Care at Home Can Help
Senior care professionals can also be an excellent source of companionship for your aging family member. Your elderly family member can engage in as much or as little conversation as she wants, and there’s never any pressure. Companion care at home gives your elderly family member someone who is ready to listen to her and to spend time engaging in whatever activities she wants to try out for the day.
Revisit What Is Working for Your Senior
Needs change and what works for your elderly family member at one point may not work as well for her a few months down the road. Talk with your aging family member periodically about what is still working well for her and what she might want to change. That’s going to help you to stay on top of whatever changes need to happen in order to keep your senior’s quality of life where you want it to be.
It can be such a delicate balance making sure that your elderly family member can interact with other people in the ways she needs and wants to interact. But it is also worth the time and the effort to ensure that you’re helping your senior to have what she needs most, when she needs it.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home in Eagan, MN please contact the caring staff at Great Oak Senior Care, Inc. today. (952) 767-4925
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