Companion Care in Gonzales After an Older Adult Stops Driving Regularly

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In Gonzales, companion care can help older adults continue their everyday routines after driving becomes more limited. A Care Pro can offer transportation and companionship on errands, appointments, and even outings to eat and attend community activities while supporting the older adult’s choices on where to go, what to do, and when.

Limiting or stopping driving affects more than just driving. The weekly trip to the grocery store may not occur anymore. Getting a haircut may have to wait. Going to church becomes more difficult. Lunch with friends may happen only when family is able to go.

This is where companion care in Gonzales can be helpful. The goal is not to replace an older adult’s schedule, but to support routine in a the things that are most important.

How the Weekly Routine Changes in Gonzales When Driving Drops Off

What Beginning to Drive Less Means in Gonzales

When driving occurs less, more gradually what begins to disappear from the calendar is noticed.

Social and personal routines are easier to miss. Necessary appointments are important, but social, and personal routines are missed first.

Maybe your parent is still able to get to their medical appointment because you were able to rearrange your workday. However a trip to the grocery store that was previously done every Tuesday is now done every other week. Their haircut appointment is missed. They have stopped going to lunch with friends because asking for another ride is an inconvenience.

One missed appointment may not be significant. However, a pattern will be noticed.

Look at a normal seven-day period. Think about what your parent did to maintain their routine with driving and the normal activities of their life. Compare that to what actually occurs now.

Companion care is designed to fulfill every day activities. A standard list places expectations on the older adult which should be avoided. Companion care is needs driven.

Our Gonzales home care service area is within the Baton Rouge office’s coverage when considering local travel. The first of many questions is often “Of your normal week, which parts do you want to keep?”. This puts the older adult at the center of the discussion.

Which Errands and Social Activities May a Care Pro Support?

Companion care is designed to fulfill everyday life. The answer should be drawn from the older adult’s routine and the Care Plan, as opposed to a standard list.

For some, staying independent may mean the ability to shop for groceries instead of having another person do it for them. For others, it may mean the ability to attend church, get a haircut, or going out to lunch.

A Care Pro may offer support for various activities of daily living to include:

• Grocery shopping and other errands
• Attending doctor’s appointments and planned outings
• Personal appointments (haircuts)
• Attending church and/or participating in community activities
• Visitation with friends/family
• Eating out of the house
• At home companionship
• Activities of interests

Some of the problems can be addressed by the provision of transportation while the other issues may be resolved by the provision of companionship.

A ride to lunch may solve a problem of getting to lunch. Caregivers can provide the transportation and companionship to the lunch if that is what the client desires.

A ride to the store may solve the provision of transportation, however, the Care Pro would ensure that the client has the ability to select the groceries and perform the routine task in a ways that they have become accustomed to.

There are numerous home health care services offered by Home Instead, however, companion care may be the most appropriate starting point of care for older adults with diminished transportation and social contacts and the need for help with errands and routine daily living activities.

How Do You Preserve Independence Instead of Replacing Every Decision?

Rather than deciding what the older adult should do or what they should stop doing, it is most important to find out what they may need assistance with in order to maintain their current level of independence. Companion services should assist in retaining as much independence as possible and should allow the older adult to choose which outings are important and how they would like to organize their day as well as letting them decide which tasks they prefer to do for themselves.

Simply because your parent no longer drives to the grocery store doesn’t mean someone has to do the grocery shopping for them.

There are probably many tasks they still enjoy doing like picking the store, making the lists, choosing what food, and deciding when they want to go. What they do need help with is getting to the store.

The same is probably true at home.

Maybe there are people who would appreciate the company during breakfast or lunch but would prefer to do some of the cooking themselves. They may also prefer to have someone drive them to church but would want to decide where to sit and how long to stay. They may want a Care Pro to visit them for a few days but would want to be home alone for the rest of the days.

I like to base the conversation on these three questions.

1. What do you like that you would still do yourself?
2. What is more difficult because you do less driving?
3. What do you want help with to do more consistently?

Asking what they can no longer do on their own is usually not as good of a start for a Care Plan because it doesn’t encourage flexibility.

An older adult who started with wanting help with one outing a week may decide they want help for the rest of the week instead.

When the Transportation Needs in Gonzales Point Mean a Larger Conversation about Care

Sometimes the problems are just about Transportation. Your parent may be doing well at home but may be doing less driving than before.

In situations like these limited companion Care may help.

Although in some cases, driving less may show that they may need help with other things as well.

Note if a trip to the grocery store is difficult because shopping feels difficult, not just because there is no way to get there. Observe if preparing meals after you shop becomes difficult. Be aware if changes are occurring to household routines that are not related to driving.

This doesn’t mean that you must assume a complete loss of independence. What it does mean is that the discussion needs to be more specific.

You should be asking:

• What other issues are there?
• Are meal preparation and household routines still manageable?
• Do you think your parent is comfortable being alone for long periods?
• Are there changes to the personal care routine?
• Is one family member continuously needing to change their work schedule or other obligations?
• Are additional services needed at home to provide support, along with the requested outings?

If there are multiple things that make life more difficult, a more comprehensive Care Plan can be developed. Instead of focusing on every single issue and responding to every single request for a ride, a more comprehensive Care Plan can be developed.

For situations where care is more extensive, our Baton Rouge office provides helpful information on home care in Baton Rouge and other related care services.

Support at the right level is unique for every individual. An increased level of support does not automatically mean care is improved.

Things Companion Care Does Not Replace

Companion care is non-medical home care. It helps with routine activities, transport services, and companionship. It helps with requested tasks and activities, but it does not replace a skilled nursing service, medical care, diagnosis, or care that a licensed healthcare professional must provide.

This distinction becomes important when you decide on the type of assistance that is needed.

Regarding companion care, expat parents tend to appreciate the help with staying connected to their day-to-day activities as well as leaving the house. If your needs veer more clinical with a focus on nursing or other medical-related services, then maybe different caregiving services are the answer. Some people may require different care services and non-medical care.

You do not have to completely divide the needs your family may have into a single category; rather what is most critical is understanding the type of care each of your parents' respective needs may necessitate.

When should companion care be considered after an older adult stops driving?

Companion care services may be of assistance with transportation, errands, appointments, social engagements, meals, attendance at community events, as well as providing companionship. The type of support will is based on the individual Care Plan and the client’s preferences and routines. The aim is to provide support that minimizes the loss of socially meaningful activity following a reduction in the client’s preferred mode of transport.

Is companion care only for older adults that have completely stopped driving?

Not at all. People still drive but utilize companion care for times, places or drives that they would prefer not to do by themselves.

Can Care Pro take my parent grocery shopping or to lunch?

Transportation and excursions fall into the companion care as long as they are included in the Care Plan and are done safely and within reason. These may include grocery shopping as well as social and recreational outings. The local office can provide more information regarding specific destination requests.

My parent does not want someone doing everything for them. What then?

In that case, the Care Plan should not include that. Focus on what your parent needs help doing. They can still do all their own shopping and make their own choices about meals and outings. Remember that the goal is to help your parent maintain the things they can do for themselves. It is not better to do for them what they are still capable of doing for themselves.

Is companion care the same as home health or skilled nursing?

No. Companion care is the non-medical type. A Care Pro is not a nurse or doctor substitute. You should contact the appropriate health care professional if you need skilled nursing or medical care for your parent.

How do I know when transportation becomes a larger care need?

Don't just look at the gap in transportation, think about other things. If other things start slipping like making meals, chores, social contact and/or personal time, it may be worth looking at a larger Care Plan. However, you can always start with a small amount of support and change it as required.

How do I talk to my parent about their reduced driving?

Ask them what they miss. The discussion around ensuring the grocery trip, church, haircuts, and lunch dates with friends feels more practically oriented than starting with everything that they now need your help with. Once you have this information, ask them how they would like to make their week easier.

If reduced driving has begun changing your everyday life or your parent's, contact our Baton Rouge team to learn more about companion care in Gonzales. We can go over routines that are important to them, where we may potentially offer help, and the potential fit a companion-care Care Plan may have on the situation.

About the Author

Matt Cohn has spent more than 25 years helping older adults and their families find support that allows them to remain safe and comfortable at home. As the owner of Home Instead locations serving Baton Rouge and other communities, Matt shares practical guidance about home care, family decisions, and maintaining independence.