Maintaining good mental and physical health should be the goal of senior care. Westlake Village, CA seniors can live healthier and happier lives by participate in stimulating activities, keeping a positive attitude, and having a purpose for living. But how do busy family members help their elderly loved ones stay busy and maintain an optimistic attitude when there are only so many hours in the day? What about seniors who live alone with no family nearby? With help from a professionally qualified senior companion, Westlake Village, CA seniors can lead a more active, engaged, and healthier lifestyle. Seniors and their families throughout Ventura County can count on Home Instead’s team of trained, screened, and bonded CAREGiversSM to provide personal care, assistance with daily activities, and the necessary encouragement and support to maintain a healthy routine.
Participation: Keeping Busy and Being Part of Something
There are many ways for older people to keep busy in their golden years, especially with the help of a companion to provide accompaniment, support, and transportation. Volunteering can be an excellent way to keep busy and feel like you’re a part of something. Older people can feel like they are needed and interact with the next generations by volunteering with children, for example. Churches, soup kitchens, animal shelters, schools, museums, and nonprofit organizations are other great places to volunteer. It’s also good to keep busy with exercise. When creating an individualized plan for companionship and senior personal care services, Westlake Village, CA families may want to consider incorporating an exercise plan into the daily routine. Whether it’s an at-home exercise program, daily walks around the block or to a park, or classes such as water aerobics or tai chi, exercise is an essential component of any good senior care plan. Researching recipes and preparing meals together, going to the barbershop or the beaty salon, telling stories, visiting neighbors, and trying new hobbies are all good ways to keep busy, too.
Positivity: The Science of Being Happy
Keeping a positive outlook has been proven to reduce chronic pain and the risks of depression and other mental health issues, but achieving positivity isn’t always as easy as telling yourself to be happy. We all need some help and support sometimes to stay positive. By participating in stimulating activities, exercising, and keeping busy, seniors are already ahead of the curve in terms of maintaining a positive outlook. Having a friendly face to visit and help out with daily activities can also help a great deal, which is why many families turn to Home Instead as a senior companion agency. Westlake Village, CA seniors are much more likely to be optimistic when they have caring and compassionate CAREGivers visiting on a regular basis.
Purpose: A Reason to Get Out of Bed in the Morning
Everyone needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning to maintain a sense of purpose, which helps seniors and people of all ages to stay motivated and active. Retirement can be difficult for older people simply because they no longer have a job to go to. For many people, that sense of purpose comes from children and grandchildren, but it isn’t always possible for family to be together with their elderly loved ones on a regular basis. There are other ways to maintain a sense of purpose, though. Having a spiritual practice can also help provide a sense of purpose. Whether it’s attending a church, temple, synagogue, or mosque; praying or meditating at home on a regular basis; or any other spiritual practice, the sense of purpose that spirituality provides has been shown to increase seniors’ mental and physical health. Many of the previously mentioned activities to participate in, such as volunteering, also help provide a sense of purpose. As you can see, the benefits of participation, positivity, and purpose for seniors are all interrelated.
Whether you require daily visits, weekly visits, around-the-clock care, or just occasional respite care, Home Instead is ready to help your elderly loved one achieve a balance of participation, positivity, and purpose in their life. Contact us today to learn more about our customizable senior care options to help you meet that goal.
