It Can Be Rewarding To Be A Companion For Elderly Voorhees NJ Residents

| Wednesday, August 31, 2016
By Brenda Lee


The average age of populations in developed countries are edging higher and higher each year. Medical advances and life style factors allow people to grow older than before. Aged people often have unique needs, however, and some of them cannot be allowed to live alone. They often need frequent medical care or they become too frail to look after themselves. Many families have solved this dilemma by hiring a companion for elderly Voorhees NJ relatives.

Social workers and others that work with aged people generally agree that one of the biggest maladies experienced by older people is sheer loneliness. In many cases they are no longer mobile and they are cut off from clubs, societies and activities that they used to enjoy and that gave meaning to their days. Hiring a caregiver or friend for lonely loved ones can make a world of difference and completely change the life of that person.

Social scientists agree that it is best for older people if they are able to remain in the familiar surroundings of their own homes. Many older people are frail and may need some help with some day to day tasks, but they are by no means mentally incompetent to make rational decisions. A part time or live in caregiver can help such people to remain in control of their own lives.

There are also older people that may be physically in fine form, but that could not be trusted to live alone. They are perhaps a little forgetful, neglecting to eat or take their medication, or they may forget to turn off a stove, for example. They are not mentally disabled, but they do pose a threat to themselves. In such situations, too, a caregiver can be of invaluable service.

When hiring someone for the purpose of companionship it is vital to find somebody that will fit into the life style and routine of the patient. It is vital that the patient is asked for input regarding the selection of a candidate. The patient will be spending lots of time with the caregiver and it is therefore important that they like each other, or at least share some interests.

It is also important to make sure that the chosen caregiver is experienced, properly registered and able to submit valid references. When a caregiver is appointed it is vital to enter into a written and legal contract. The contract should stipulate the working hours of the caregiver, her responsibilities and matters such as remuneration and free time.

Even when families have made sure that an aged loved one is tended by a caregiver they should never forsake their responsibility towards that loved one. Older people need to know that they are still appreciated and loved and that they are still valued and respected members of the family. It is important to stay in contact, to visit as often as possible and to monitor the relationship with the caregiver.

A society that allows aged members to live in loneliness and isolation cannot be a healthy society. Unfortunately, this is all too often the case. Everyone is too busy to take time out to visit aged loved ones. Healthy families are families that are never too busy to care for one another, regardless of the circumstances.




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