Companion Care at Home

Are you or a loved one starting to need a little extra help, but you aren’t ready for an assisted living facility or nursing home? If so, elderly companion care may be an excellent option. Companion care services for seniors are an increasingly popular way to help older adults stay in their own homes.

If this is your first time looking into home companion care, you may have many questions.

  • What does companion care mean? 
  • How much does companion care cost? 
  • What are companion duties?

What Is Companion Care for the Elderly?

Companion care is a type of home care that provides non-medical services for senior citizens or adults with disabilities. Older adults often struggle with things like loneliness, housekeeping, and getting to appointments. Companion care helps handle some of these things to keep people in their homes longer.

“Companion care provides non-medical services for senior citizens or people with disabilities.”

Companion Caregiving vs. Personal Caregiving

While some people use the terms “companion caregiving” and “personal caregiving” interchangeably, they offer different levels of care. Companion caregiving provides companionship, light housekeeping, and other non-medical types of care. Personal caregiving offers all that in addition to helping with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and feeding.

 

How Home Companion Care Works

Home care companion services allow people to stay in their homes longer by handling light housekeeping tasks, running errands, providing transportation, and offering companionship. The companion typically comes to the home on a set schedule, whether that’s a few hours a week or every day.

Read the kind words from previous clients. Our testimonials help families discover how dedicated we are to customer satisfaction.

Considering home care in the Parkland County area? Learn how we can help your aging loved one live their best life in the safety of their home.

Providing exceptional Companion Care at Home in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Devon, St. Albert, Edmonton, Onoway, Leduc, Parkland County and surrounding areas. We are an AHS approved agency for the Client Directed Home Care Invoicing Program.

Companion Care at Home in Parkland County, AB | Serving Hands Senior Care

What Are the Duties of a Companion?

Companion duties will vary depending on the needs of the client, but they may include:

  • Companionship
  • Light housekeeping such as dusting, organizing, and cleaning
  • Cooking and cleaning up after the meal
  • Running errands such as picking up medications or groceries
  • Transportation for appointments and errands
  • Doing the laundry
  • Playing games together or reading aloud
  • Communicating with family members

Benefits of Companion Care

Companion care offers a wide variety of benefits. As the name implies, the best benefit is companionship. It’s more important than you might think. Humans are social creatures, and seniors tend to be isolated and lonely, which can impact their mental health.

Minimizing or preventing loneliness and depression are some of the best benefits of companion care, but they aren’t the only ones. Other benefits of companion care include:

  • Seniors can stay in their homes longer and age in place without needing to go to an assisted living facility or nursing home.
  • The senior’s loved ones know they’re being taken care of when they can’t be there.
  • Seniors no longer need to worry about some tasks that have become too difficult to keep up with.
  • It’s easier for seniors to travel to appointments and run other errands.
  • Family members no longer have the stress of handling these duties themselves all the time.
  • Seniors are better able to keep their routines.

Companion Care at Home in Parkland County, AB | Serving Hands Senior Care

Frequently Asked Questions About Companion Care at Home

This is care that primarily focuses on helping our seniors to stay in their homes, with their routines but with pockets of extra help. In home care provides practical support with a personal touch. Our compassionate caregivers will assist elderly clients with common activities of daily living like cooking together, light housekeeping, errands and transportation.

We have specific guidelines that we must follow as a non-medical service provider.  Our clients must be fairly mobile, as we can only provide limited help with stabilization and transferring.  We also cannot administer medications, but only provide reminders to our clients unless medications are in a blister pack.

Most often, the responsibility of care falls upon loved ones suddenly, and the responsibility can be very challenging and strenuous, and overwhelming on the caregiver.  Using the services of Serving Hands allows seniors to get the support and care they need and relieves loved ones of the stress or guilt.  Our compassionate caregivers allow families to be able to enjoy wives being wives, or children being children and not have to carry the care burden alone.  However, you know your family best and we want to work together with you towards providing the best assistance your loved one needs and desires, so that our clients are comfortable with our role as their caregiver, giving families peace of mind.

Getting started with Serving Hands Senior Care is easy. Finding home care for yourself or a loved one often begins with one simple question – “Where do I begin?” By answering a few questions about who needs care and their current situation, our online “Get Started” form will help our staff get connected with your family to discuss your needs. OR call our office @780-963-1516

Whether home care is required immediately, or you’re simply researching options, Serving Hands Senior Care is a great place to start. Talk to our caring staff today for a FREE care consultation. 

A Care Coordinator will then create custom care plan. This care plan will be personalized according to your loved one’s unique care needs and preferences. Once the consultation and care plan are complete, Serving Hands Senior Care will then match you with a caregiver.

Bathing and Grooming

At Serving Hands Senior Care, our companion care workers help you look and feel your best. They make bath time, grooming and personal care services just right for enhancing mental as well physical wellbeing.  Feeling clean and fresh not only cleanses the skin but also provides relaxation and stimulates circulation, as well as enhancing self-esteem.

Repositioning and Transferring

Our caregivers are trained to move and place clients in correct posture / position so they can promote better health. This reduces the risk of skin damage, encourages proper breathing patterns, takes stress off pressure points, and helps with digestion.

Toileting and Incontinence Assistance

At Serving Hands Senior Care, our caregivers respectfully, and gently care for seniors, helping them maintain dignity while they get help with toileting and incontinence issues. Because we use a dignified approach and a caring attitude- our caregivers help to decrease embarrassment surrounding the need for assistance related to incontinence and toileting.

Feeding and Nutrition

Seniors may need help feeding themselves or even being prompted to eat. This loss of natural hunger urges or of functional ability can be physically and mentally challenging to accept. We understand this and take the time to turn mealtime into an enjoyable experience.

Serving Hands caregivers help seniors stay on specific diets to assist with a wide variety of medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Our caregivers enable clients to have a well-balanced meal that provides the nutrition needed for staying active and preventing further disease issues.

Yes, we do try to keep the same caregiver visiting our clients each time.  It allows them to build a relationship of trust with their clients.  However, if a client requires more than 6hrs/week of care we will then generally assign 2-4 caregivers.

During a selection process we conduct a telephone interview, followed by an interview in person.  All candidates must also have an in-depth criminal record check, including the vulnerable sector search, and have a minimum of 2 professional business references and be bondable.  Our caregivers are all insured and are covered by WCB.

It is possible, as there are different insurance plans that cover our services.  Always verify with your own insurance company what coverage is available to you before using any health services.  Clients are responsible for reimbursement from their insurance company as Serving Hands is not able to work directly with insurance companies at this time.

We sure can!

Find out which benefits you qualify for @ www.canadabenefits.gc.ca

Alberta Seniors Benefit Program (Special Needs Assistance for Seniors – SNA)

The Office of Alberta Health Advocate:

Compassionate Care Benefits 1-800-206-7218

You may receive benefits if you have to be absent from work to provide care to a gravely ill family member at risk of dying.

Alzheimer Society of Canada (Dementia)

The Arthritis Society

Diabetes

Canadian Cancer Society Helpline

 Find a Physician

Osteoporosis Canada

Parkinson Society of Canada

Heart and Stroke Foundation

Veterans:

  • Veteran Affairs Canada 1-866-522-2122

  • Veterans Review and Appeal Board 1-800-450-8006

  • www.veterans.gc.ca

Learn what sets us apart from the rest. Our mission, vision, values and training have allowed us to shine above the rest.

Does Your Loved One Need Companion Care Services?

Is your loved one experiencing reduced mobility or cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s or dementia? Do they seem to be lonely or struggle to keep up with things like housekeeping? Are you worried about them being alone all day long? Are you unable to spend as much time with your loved one as you would like?

There are many reasons your loved one may need senior home care. Whatever the reason, home care is often the first step toward providing assistance to your loved one while they get to stay at home and avoid the disruption of moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home.

If you’re searching for the right home care provider, let us help you. We know how important it is to find the right match for your needs.

What Services Are Included with Companion Care at Home?

Companionship – at home, hospital or care facility

  • Sharing a good book/newspaper
  • Watching a movie, playing card games
  • Encouraging exercise
  • Medication reminders
  • Preparing/sharing a meal, including clean up


Homemaking Services

  • Light housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Changing bed linens


Other Services:

  • Lawn Care
  • Snow Removal
  • Companion Transportation

Serving Hands Senior Care provides 24-hour home care and compassionate caregivers so you have the peace of mind knowing your loved ones are covered. We are an AHS approved vendor for the Client Directed Home Care Invoicing Program.

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