If you’re one of the 13.8 million seniors living alone, you know firsthand how both rewarding and challenging home ownership is. On one hand, you get to reside in your long-term home, the place where you’ve made countless memories and feel safest. On the other hand, living alone can be detrimental to your well-being. You may struggle to manage an ongoing illness or stress over how you’ll care for yourself following a knee or hip replacement. Beyond these physical limitations, though, living alone can also be isolating.
The COVID-19 pandemic has required older adults to stay home and limit the amount of people they interact with. As of June 2020, over 55 percent of seniors polled reported feeling isolated. While isolation is somewhat of a necessary evil for the sake of maintaining your health during the pandemic, it is still detrimental to your emotional wellness.
Fortunately, home care can be the solution you’re looking for. Beyond physical health care, home care nurses have the ability to provide emotional support to improve your overall well-being.
The Dangers of Senior Isolation at Home
One of the risks of social isolation is experiencing loneliness. It’s possible to live alone and still feel fulfilled, especially when you’re mobile enough to participate in meaningful activities, community events and socialization. But what if recovery from surgery limits your usual mobility or a pandemic keeps you from your loved ones?
This social isolation can trigger feelings of loneliness, which can put you at higher risk of physical ailments like high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. Loneliness can even alter cells in the immune system, putting you at higher risk of illnesses and chronic diseases. Social isolation and loneliness can also put a strain on your mental and emotional health. Without productive activities and personal connections to boost your mood, loneliness can lead to anxiety, depression and cognitive decline.
If you’re isolated at home due to an injury, illness or surgery, home care services can help limit your physical isolation and lower your risk of suffering from chronic loneliness.
Emotional Support Offered by Home Health Nurses
Home care nursing teams provide deeply personal care to individuals who are aging in their long-term homes. While home care is heavily focused on physical health (disease management, wound care, physical therapy and occupational therapy), high quality care requires connection and emotional support.
A highly trained and experienced home care nurse will get to know who you are, beyond the physical care you need. They’ll take the time to understand your personality traits, mood, interests and daily routine, so they can provide the personalized care needed to manage your unique condition.
A chronic illness, for example, can include ongoing pain that is difficult and frustrating to manage. Maybe you often get annoyed that the pain prevents you from doing daily activities or you feel beat down by the pain. Pain management not only offers physical relief, but can also relieve emotional distress you experience because of your physical pain.
If you’re struggling to bathe, move or do other daily tasks on your own, you may feel impatient and disheartened. Your home care nurse will offer compassionate support where you need it most and encourage you to continue doing activities that you can do. If occupational therapy is deemed appropriate for you, your nurse can help you rebuild some of the independence you lost, which can boost your mood and confidence.
Surgery is another situation that would require home care if you can’t transport yourself to and from outpatient treatment. Your home care team will reassure you and cheer on your progress through physical and occupational therapy. They’ll be able to gauge your mood to determine how they need to adjust your recovery and be by your side every step of the way. This high level of support will motivate you and put you in the right mindset to recapture your independence faster.
Ethos Home Care is Here to Support Your Emotional Wellness
Ethos Home Care is focused on providing personalized support that can help improve your physical, mental and emotional health. Our home care team strives to get to know each and every one of our clients in the Fargo-Moorhead and Detroit Lakes areas, so we can improve their physical health and lower their risk of suffering from social isolation and loneliness.
Do you need help with daily tasks, suffer from a chronic illness or need therapy following an upcoming surgery? Contact us today to learn more about our home care services.