It Can Be Rewarding To Be A Companion For Elderly Voorhees NJ Residents

By Brenda Lee


The average age of populations in developed countries are edging higher and higher each year. Medical advances and life style factors allow people to grow older than before. Aged people often have unique needs, however, and some of them cannot be allowed to live alone. They often need frequent medical care or they become too frail to look after themselves. Many families have solved this dilemma by hiring a companion for elderly Voorhees NJ relatives.

Social workers and others that work with aged people generally agree that one of the biggest maladies experienced by older people is sheer loneliness. In many cases they are no longer mobile and they are cut off from clubs, societies and activities that they used to enjoy and that gave meaning to their days. Hiring a caregiver or friend for lonely loved ones can make a world of difference and completely change the life of that person.

Social scientists agree that it is best for older people if they are able to remain in the familiar surroundings of their own homes. Many older people are frail and may need some help with some day to day tasks, but they are by no means mentally incompetent to make rational decisions. A part time or live in caregiver can help such people to remain in control of their own lives.

Some older people cannot live alone any longer. They may suffer from medical conditions that require constant monitoring or they may develop psychological disorders that render them careless or forgetful, thus posing a danger to themselves. Hiring a permanent caregiver is a much better option that forcing a loved one to move to an institution, which should be a last resort.

The best person to hire for companionship would be someone that shares certain interests with the patient. The patients should most certainly part of the interview process and if at all possible, those on the short list should each live with the patients for a few days before a final decision is made. In many successful companion and patient relationships the two individuals form a close bond and even become friends.

It is vital to enter into a written contract with the chosen caregiver. The contract should not just stipulate the responsibilities of the caregiver, but also her benefits and privileges. The caregiver can play a vital role in the happiness of the patient and every effort should be made to make her working conditions flexible and pleasant.

Sadly, an alarming number of families think that they are allowed to abdicate their responsibilities towards an aged loved one simply because they have hired someone to look after her. This should never happen. Families should stay in contact with their loved ones and take the trouble to keep them involved in family matters. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

Many older people may not be able to do everything that they used to do, but that does not mean that they cannot still enjoy a good quality of life. Companionship can play a very important role in establishing a satisfying and rewarding life style. No older person deserves to spend the last years of life in loneliness.




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