What are the most common reasons for loneliness among elderly parents and how family caregiving solutions help combat them?
Loneliness is a choice and most often it’s an unwanted one.
Aging can cause people to move away from their friends, family and social circles due to a variety of reasons like immobility, incontinence, inhibitions and lethargy.
But it doesn’t need to be so anymore. With proactive living solutions and smarter technologies there are sure enough ways to stay close and feel connected more than ever before.
Did you know?
Loneliness is lethal!
The consequences of isolation can have a serious impact on the mental and physical health of aging loved ones. If you’re concerned about your aging parents feeling isolated we suggest it’s important to step up and do something about it.
There are simple ways to combat senior isolation with some easy to try family caregiving solutions and we’re here to guide you through them. So let’s start now.
Lend an ear-
It’s important to sometimes be there for loved ones and just engage in a conversation, ask them questions and get them interested. Encourage them to express themselves and their inhibitions so they can feel more at ease, laugh and relax. It’s important for them to feel heard and the best thing you can do is to listen in a non-judgemental way.
Plan it out
In addition to listening, take note of your mom or dad’s interests and develop a plan to incorporate those in their daily lives.
For example, if your dad enjoys music, take him to a show or encourage him to join the local choir. Now if that’s too much, simply taking an hour off a day to engage in their favorite things can make a huge difference.
BrioCare can help your loved ones enjoy music hands-free via Alexa everyday for an hour with scheduled timers set up on your phone. In-built voice assistance ensures that your parents can enjoy their favorite song whenever they want.
Think of a new hobby
Learning something new is the best thing for regenerating cognitive health. Encourage them to learn a new hobby to stay active and make new friendships. Suggest them to join a book club or a weekly reading circle. You can even ask them to learn knitting, threading or some form of handiwork if they love DIYs and crafts.
They can also head over to their local community center to participate in weekly activities. If that’s too difficult to maintain, get them BrioCare. It can help your loved ones stay engaged at home while listening to audiobooks, playing memory games or engaging in podcasts with its endless entertainment options. They sure won’t be bored anymore.
Bridge that gap
For aging loved ones, getting to connect with someone might not be as difficult as previously imagined. One of the best ideas is to connect them to their younger relatives.
Grandchildren, nieces and nephews can learn a lot by spending time and conversing with them while they can feel younger, engaged and more included in family discussions and playtime activities. BrioCare encourages weekly family video calls to help your loved ones feel inclusive and close knit even if they live far away. Set up birthday reminders and other family celebrations to keep them aware and connected in all family activities like day outs, dinners and events.
Start learning
If your loved one is an avid reader. Suggest them to start learning a new subject or attend free classes, workshops and seminars at the nearest community center or visit local colleges that offer their subject of choice.
You can even ask them to check out the local library for resources and upcoming events. If they enjoy reading at home it’s time you invest in a multitasking family caregiver app that can effectively organize their daily routine and help them find more time to engage and pursue their interests. BrioCare can help your loved ones enjoy audiobooks and podcasts hands-free at home whenever they want.
Tutorials or teaching
If taking a class is way too much, ask your loved ones to start teaching something instead. They can turn out to be the best instructor in something you’d least expect. Let their inner creativity and dynamics shine.
They might turn out to be the best life coach and mentor with their wisdom and advice. So don’t let them hold back.
Time to give back
Volunteering can help lonely seniors both physically and mentally. It has shown to reduce dementia and physical ailments to a huge extent and participation in meaningful activities helps even build self worth. Active volunteering can help them have a sense of belonging to a larger community, in addition to better cognitive health and physical engagement.
Get a pet
While a pet can’t substitute human companionship it can however help aging loved ones overcome depression and feel happier. Having pets has shown to reduce stress triggers and offer a sense of well-being and engagement around the household. Having a pet around the house makes it feel lively, occupied and less empty or isolated.
It’s possible to end senior isolation and turn towards an impactful positive change. No family caregiving solution is perfect. But it can always be made better. With the right thought and easy steps you can ensure your dad and mom feel less lonely and more engaged than ever. Helping them to live a longer, happier and purposeful life while aging in place.
BrioCare is the best caregiver app that you can gift your mom and dad this year. It’s introductory annual free subscription makes it the first choice to try out now. To know more about how BrioCare works to combat senior loneliness check out our website.
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Download the app today, it’s free for a year. You can also book a free call at your convenience to discuss more about BrioCare with the team. Book now.
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