It can be overwhelming to hire a home companion to help care for you or your loved one.
Luckily, the process does not need to be as complicated as you think.
Let’s look at what a home companion does and tips for hiring senior home companions in Santa Cruz.
What are home companions?
Home companions (also referred to as home care) can be informal, such as friends and family who stop by regularly to socialize or help them around the house, or formal, such as independent caregivers or home care agencies.
Home companion caregivers can come as often as needed and tailor their services to the individual’s needs.
Many home companions provide both companion care and personal care.
Companion care services
Companionship care provides social interaction and emotional support.
Companion caregivers can provide mental stimulation through conversations, helping the person with their hobbies, or playing games.
Companion care services include:
- Engaging in conversation
- Mental stimulation to help their cognitive function
- Being an emotional support
- Helping them stay connected with family and friends
- Providing transportation for appointments, running errands, or going to see friends
- Listening to music, reading, or watching a show or movie with them
- Going for a walk or a drive with them
- Encouraging them to start hobbies, socialize, and get out of the house
Personal care services
Personal care is helping a person with their activities of daily living (ADLs), including:
- Going to the bathroom
- Bathing and grooming
- Getting dressed
- Moving around
- Eating
Most home companions that provide personal care also help people with their instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), including running errands, such as shopping, light housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation.
While personal care is non-medical, caregivers can supervise seniors and help keep them safe. They can also help with medication compliance by reminding your loved one to take their medicine.
Find out more about what personal care for the elderly entails.
What is the difference between a home health nurse and a home companion?
A home health nurse is trained to provide medical care, while a home companion provides non-medical care, such as transportation, cooking or cleaning, companionship, and help with the person’s activities of daily living (ADLs).
Both can be hugely beneficial, and they can be used in tandem.
Learn more about the differences between home health care and home companion care (home care).
Who needs home companion care?
People need home companion care if they:
- Are socially isolated and need a companion to talk to, play games with, or help them with their hobbies
- Live alone and have difficulty managing household tasks like cooking and cleaning
- Require transportation for errands, appointments, or social events
- Need help with their activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming, moving around, or going to the bathroom
Home companion care can also be a great respite care option to help caregivers that need to work or attend to their other responsibilities and help them avoid burnout.
Learn more by reading Is Home Care Right for My Parent? 4 Questions to Ask Yourself and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): Checklist and Examples.
Benefits of home companion care
There are several reasons why it is important for older adults to have close companions, including to help them avoid loneliness and stay independent.
Having a companion for their loved ones also provides peace of mind to the family.
Avoid social isolation
According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), about 25% of people 65 or older are socially isolated, which means they are separated from other people and lack social connections.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the CDC attribute social isolation to an increased risk of weakened immune systems, depression and anxiety, dementia, and premature death.
People need social connection, and companionship care can help provide that.
Learn more about how to prevent social isolation in the elderly.
Stay living at home and independent
Many seniors want to stay living at home, but as they age, it becomes difficult for them to manage the house or be able to live alone safely.
At this point, many people think the only option is to move to a residential care facility. However, with home companion care, seniors can get the help they need to keep up with the housekeeping, laundry, and cooking and manage their activities of daily living.
With this help from home companions, seniors are able to stay in their own homes.
Comfort for families
Companion care doesn’t just help seniors—it also helps their families. It provides them peace of mind that their loved one is being well cared for and getting social interaction.
3 steps to hiring a senior home companion in Santa Cruz
Let’s look at the 3 most important steps for hiring a senior home companion.
1. Talk to your loved one
If you think that your loved one could benefit from home companion services, the first thing that you need to do is talk to your loved one.
It can be difficult to talk to a parent about getting help. This is a role reversal and can be an uncomfortable conversation.
Luckily, there are some things that you can do to help the conversation go more smoothly, including:
- Treating them with respect
- Recognizing this can be a difficult change for them and trying to be patient.
- Listening to their concerns and being empathetic
- Recognizing their autonomy (don’t try to force changes on them)
- Approaching the situation with a team mentality (you are working together to keep your parents safe and as independent as possible)
Check out our guide on How to Talk to Elderly Parents About Accepting Help.
2. Determine what services you need
Before you hire a home companion, you need to know what services you need and how often you need them to come.
Depending on what services and how much time you will need will affect your scheduling and pricing.
Whether you only need a home care companion to come in a couple days a week for some light housekeeping and socializing or a full-time companion to help with all aspects of life, there will be a plan and package specifically for your family.
Not sure what services you’d need? Contact our friendly Pacific Angels Home Care assistants and they will walk you through everything.
3. Finding a home companion
Finally, you’ll need to consider which home companion or home care company you would prefer for your family.
Individual caregivers vs. home care agencies
Home companions can be individual caregivers that you hire yourself or caregivers from home care agencies.
Hiring a home companion makes it much easier for you because they are responsible for hiring, screening, training, and paying the caregivers. They also oversee the companions and can provide a backup if needed.
Finding a home care agency
You can ask friends, family, medical professionals, directories, or Google for recommendations.
From there, you want to check that the agency is bonded, licensed, and insured. Ensure that they screen and train their caregivers.
Find out if you will have one caregiver or multiple caregivers, what the cancelation policy is, and what services they offer.
Call the agency and take advantage of any free consultations to determine a care plan for your loved one.
Learn more about How to Find the Right Home Care Agency for Your Loved One.
Ready to hire a home companion?
Here at Pacific Angels Home Care, we thoroughly screen and train our caregivers. We are bonded, licensed, and insured.
We determine a tailored care plan for your loved one and are available as little or as much as needed.
For those looking to hire a home companion in the Santa Cruz area, call (831) 708-2876 or reach us online to schedule a free in-home consultation.
