Social connections are incredibly important as you age. Studies have shown there is an increased risk of inflammatory conditions like heart disease and diabetes and cognitive health issues to a low number of friends or visitors. Another issue with a lack of socialization is that your dad may become lonely enough to fall for a scammer online or on a phone. He simply wants someone to talk to, and it doesn’t matter who it is. If your dad doesn’t have more than family visiting him from time to time, he needs a wider social network. When you live alone, it’s harder but not impossible. Companion care at home services is a great way to make sure your dad remains social.
Here are some of the ways he could expand his social circle.
Look Into Community Events and Programs
Companion Care at Home Clark NJ – The Importance of Social Connections When Your Dad Lives Alone
Many communities have area senior centers, public libraries, or community centers that host classes, hobby groups, luncheons, or field trips. Look to see what’s available that would appeal to your dad.
He may find his local senior center has a monthly dinner and dance that sounds like fun. His library may be hosting basic computer coding classes or a photography course. He could sign up for Japanese cooking lessons or a gardening club at the community center.
Get Him to Volunteer
Volunteering is a good way to meet others. Depending on his mobility, he may need a volunteer opportunity that has him sitting at a help desk in a hospital lobby. If he’s mobile, he could volunteer to help clean up parks and rivers or become a foster grandparent to a child in need. His local food shelf might need people to help organize donations.
If he’s unable to leave his home, he can still volunteer. Instead, look up organizations like the Smithsonian and the National Archives that look for volunteers to transcribe old documents and letters or tag photos with identifiers. It’s not face-to-face volunteering, but there are groups that help each other and talk through chat or forums.
Choose Companion Care at Home Aides to Help Your Dad Stay Social
When you can’t visit more than a couple of times a month, see if other family members can fill in the gaps. If not, caregivers can be around when no one else is available. He’ll have a variety of people stopping in each week.
With companion care at home aides stopping by, he has people to talk to throughout the day. His caregivers can drive him to social events at area senior centers and public libraries.
He may want to spend time at the local community center learning new things. If he can’t drive, that doesn’t have to limit him. A caregiver can drive him to area parks, community centers, and other meeting areas. Companion care at home makes sure he has ample opportunities to socialize.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Companion Care at Home Services in Clark NJ, call the caring staff at Helping Hands Home Care today at 908-418-4299.
After graduating from Seton Hall University with a BS in finance Helping Hands Homecare’s Owner / President, Robert D’Arienzo, went to work on Wall St. for six years. However, after Robert’s grandmother became ill with stomach cancer Robert and his family needed to find assistance in the home for her. After many trials and tribulations Robert could see that there was a great need for quality home care services here in NJ and loved the idea of being able to assist other families who were going through what his family went through with his beloved grandmother.
Thus, Robert had found his passion. After almost a year of preparation Robert opened Helping Hands Homecare in 2003. Robert wanted Helping Hands Homecare to focus on providing the highest quality of caregivers, exceptional customer service, and providing a service that familys could depend on in their time of need. Since then Helping Hands has assisted hundreds of individuals with the simplest of needs to more complex cases while preserving those standards set out many years ago.
Robert is a Google Verified Author
- How To Talk To Your Senior Parent About Not Driving Anymore - September 25, 2023
- How Seniors Can Fight Weight Gain Caused By Medications - September 6, 2023
- Beach Safety Tips For Seniors Going On Vacation - August 16, 2023
Get Social With Us