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Increasing Social Engagement for Introverted Seniors

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Senior man sitting alone at the dinner table

Learn how to increase social engagement for introverted seniors.

Brace yourself! The holidays are here. Many people may love the frantic pace of parties and celebrations, but there are others who balk at the thought of stepping out of their comfort zone and into more intensive social obligations. It could be due to one of two fundamental distinctions: extroversion vs. introversion. And it’s worthwhile to know which category the older adults in your life lean towards more, so you can help them thrive with the most appropriate type of socialization for their personality.

What’s the Difference Between Introverts and Extroverts?

In all reality, no one is exclusively one or the other. Think of a continuum with introversion on one end and extroversion on the other. We are all sitting at some point along that continuum. The main traits of introversion include a more reserved, quiet, and internally-focused viewpoint, while extroversion involves a more outward focus: sociable, talkative, and action-oriented.

It’s intriguing to know that psychologists believe we grow more introverted as we age, in a condition referred to as “intrinsic maturation.” So just because a senior you love once fully enjoyed and drew energy from highly social settings, you may see a change towards beginning to feel more self-contained and satisfied with small, intimate social scenes or even just spending more time alone.

Knowing that social engagement for introverted seniors is crucial to a senior’s health and wellness, how can you help a more introverted individual enjoy time together with family and friends, not only during the holidays, but all year long? These guidelines can help.

  • Assign a buddy. Having one trusted, close friend, family member, or caregiver to stay close to the senior adds an amount of familiarity and comfort to what may seem like an intimidating setting.
  • Agree on a specific exit time. Talk with the senior about how much time might feel comfortable for socializing. If they would like to stay for just an hour, for example, be sure to respect that decision and be prepared to leave when they are.
  • Stay near the perimeter. Instead of motivating the older adult to be front and center in a social environment, choose a quieter place at the edge of the group, where they can talk with one or two people at a time.

How Can Home Care Help Increase Social Engagement for Introverted Seniors?

A caregiver from Responsive Home Care offers the ideal opportunity for the one-on-one social engagement for introverted seniors. Just a few of the numerous ways we can help include:

  • Going to holiday gatherings with the senior to ensure all of their needs are met in the most comfortable setting
  • Providing accompanied transportation to a small-group class or to learn a new hobby they’ve always wanted to try
  • Providing companionship at home for discussions and activities that are fun for the senior
  • And much more

Contact Responsive Home Care, offering the most trusted home health care service in Fort Lauderdale, FL and the surrounding areas, online or at (954) 486-6440. You can receive more recommendations to help a senior you love enjoy the greatest possible quality of life, and to learn how a professional caregiver can help.

Broken Heart Syndrome and How to Help Those Who are Grieving

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Senior woman looking at an old photo of a loved one

Learn how you can help grieving seniors avoid broken heart syndrome.

In his documentary about grief, George Shelley uses the analogy of glitter. If you toss glitter into the air, it’ll land in all of the cracks and crevices of the room, and it’ll be nearly impossible to fully sweep up and remove. Individuals who have lost a loved one can relate. Yet in some instances, grief may be so overwhelming that it can result in a serious and aptly-named condition: broken heart syndrome.

Broken heart syndrome is a very real physical condition due to the intense stress experienced in certain types of grief (such as one spouse losing the other after decades of marriage). The medical term is takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a temporary enlargement of the heart that prevents it from pumping blood effectively.

Broken heart syndrome is more common than many people know. A number of high-visibility examples include Johnny Cash, who passed away just four months after the loss of his wife and George H.W. Bush, who became ill following the loss of his wife of 73 years.

There are decades worth of research studying the effects of grief on a person’s physical health.  In 1995, for instance, the term “widowhood effect” was coined to explain the thirty percent increase in mortality rate faced by individuals who lost a longtime partner. Other scientists determined a connection between the immune system and grief. Sometimes, surviving spouses simply no longer have the strength to live.

Help prevent this condition and ease the pain of grief for someone you love with these tips.

  • Provide a listening ear and encourage the person to express their grief in a healthy way.
  • Talk about the lost loved one, allowing the opportunity for shared stories and memories.
  • Help the person stay engaged in comforting, enjoyable activities as much as possible.
  • Look for a grief support group for the person to attend, either virtually or in person.
  • Make sure the person is staying hydrated, eating healthy foods, and getting a lot of sleep.
  • Emphasize to the person everything they have to live for, and that doing so is the best way to honor the lost loved one’s legacy.
  • Suggest the senior speak with a therapist to work through overwhelming emotions.

A trained caregiving companion from Responsive Home Care is also a great way to help a senior who is grieving. We offer socialization and an abundance of opportunities for reminiscing and conversations, along with engaging activities, and more. Contact our home care professionals online or at (954) 486-6440 for a free in-home consultation to find out more about our Fort Lauderdale senior home care and care throughout the surrounding areas.

Safely Celebrating The Holidays During a Pandemic

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holidays for older adults during the pandemic

Discover how to make holidays for older adults the best they can be during COVID-19.

Imagine the most perfect holiday season ever. What would it look like? While that image will vary a bit for each of us, it might include gifts, lights, good food, and traditions passed down through the generations. However, what absolutely rings true for all of us is the joy in spending time with the ones we love – and in particular for all of us at Responsive Home Care, safely celebrating the holidays with the seniors we love.

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused all of us to reconsider how to safely experience the holidays with our older loved ones. With a bit of creativity and ingenuity, however, it’s feasible to bridge the gap while making new memories with the older adults you love, even if you are not able to be with them in person this season.

Our aging care professionals have gathered several ideas to help you get started:

  • Adjust traditions. Consider the traditions that mean the most to you and your family, and how you can modify them to help keep everyone safe. For example, if the family usually gets together each year to bake cookies, you can utilize Zoom or a similar platform to stay connected while baking from home. Select a favorite recipe, have everybody log on at a specific time, and bake away while talking and listening to some holiday music.
  • Don’t do away with decorations. Seniors who live alone usually look forward to having loved ones, especially grandchildren, visit to assist with holiday decorations. Without in-person visits, older adults might not be motivated to bother with decorations. Again, using a software program like Zoom, schedule for a time for everybody to get together online and share the stories behind the most loved decorations.
  • Enjoy the great outdoors. Safely celebrating the holidays with loved ones doesn’t always have to happen virtually. If weather allows, plan brief visits with older adults outside, safely socially distant and with face coverings. String lights on bushes in the yard and decorate the front porch together.
  • Send smiles. Cards, letters, pictures, telephone calls, small gifts, etc. will all mean a great deal to older adults who will be missing time with loved ones. Coordinate with members of the family to take turns reaching out as much as possible in ways like this so that your older family members are flooded with expressions of love.
  • Share your feelings. There is nothing quite as heartwarming as hearing from someone you love about the impact you’ve made on his or her life. Take this time to convey your gratitude to the older adults you love for the difference they have made in your life, and be specific: “Grandma, your patience with me when I was an adolescent taught me what unconditional love looks like, and thanks to you, I’m a more patient person with my own kids.”

Responsive Home Care, experts providers of senior care services in Pembroke Pines and the surrounding areas, employs caregivers who are fully trained and experienced in enhancing total wellbeing for older adults at home, and we follow rigorous safety protocols for each person’s protection. Call us at (954) 486-6440 to find out how we can help make this holiday season the best it can be for a senior you love with customized, professional home care services.

New and Innovative Solutions to Combat Senior Loneliness

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Granddaughter Relaxing With Grandmother In GardenWe know that socialization is vitally important for our overall emotional (and even physical) wellbeing – but we also know that senior loneliness is an epidemic in America. With the hectic pace of life, it’s difficult for families and friends to provide the full measure of social interaction needed to keep isolation at bay for older adults, who are often homebound or unable to get out as much as they’d like.

But the mother of invention truly is necessity, and the need for creative socialization solutions has sparked some interesting innovations to combat senior loneliness:

The Chat Bench

Thanks to the police department in the southwest England town of Burnham-On-Sea, several benches now boast signage that boldly proclaims, “The Happy to Chat Bench: Sit Here if You Don’t Mind Someone Stopping to Say Hello.” And, stop they do! It’s a lovely way for those who are feeling lonely to meet others and make new friends.

Grandkids on Demand

Carefully screened college students are available through the Papa Pals app to spend time with an older person who is lonely or in need of a little assistance. Spending anywhere from 3 to as much as 10 hours visiting together, it’s a win-win: a little spending money for the students, and the friendly companionship seniors so desperately need.

Robotics

Advances in robotics allow for an amazingly lifelike companion. One such example is ElliQ, described as “a proactive social robot for older adults…essentially a tablet and voice-equipped speaker that can gesture like it’s engaging in a real conversation, bobbing its head like it understands, or leaning in closer to ‘hear’ you.”

As incredible as these ideas are to help combat senior loneliness, we have one that we believe to be even better: engaging the services of Responsive Home Care for a professional, friendly companion, available for as much or as little time as desired to engage in conversations, reminiscing, exercise programs, enjoyable pastimes and outings, and so much more to overcome senior loneliness. And companionship is merely one component in our wide array of in-home care services. Contact us at 954-486-6440 to learn more about our Sunrise in home care services!

Help Prevent Senior Loneliness with This Simple Questionnaire

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Serious senior woman in her 90s, with eyes closed.

Responsive Home Care, providers of senior care in Hollywood, FL and surrounding areas provides tips to improve health by preventing senior loneliness.

With over 325 million people living in the United States alone, it’s difficult to imagine that loneliness would be so widespread. Nevertheless, over 50% of the elderly live alone, and more than a million of them are estimated to be chronically lonely. In reality, almost 1/2 of older adults studied stated that their primary source of company is the tv.

Being lonely may result in acute health concerns as well, reported to have as significant an impact as smoking cigarettes and being overweight, and can contribute to depression, hypertension, dementia, and also an earlier mortality rate than others who happen to be socially connected.

What are ways to ensure your senior loved ones avoid sinking into isolation? The Campaign to End Loneliness recommends using the following measurement tool. Check in with the older adults in your life to assess their answers to these three statements:

  1. I am content with my friendships and relationships.
  2. I have plenty of people I feel comfortable asking for help at any time.
  3. My relationships are as fulfilling as I would like them to be.

If loneliness is a problem for a loved one in your life, there are a number of things you can do to help:

  • Consult with your senior loved one’s neighbors, friends, and members of his or her religious organization in order to coordinate weekly visits.
  • Take advantage of technology, including Facetime and Skype, to allow the senior to be connected remotely.
  • Explore available activities and courses for seniors from the nearest community college, senior center, and gym.

It is also essential to eliminate clinical depression or any other health conditions as the underlying reason behind your loved one’s loneliness. A senior who’s isolating herself/himself on account of mental or physical conditions requires professional healthcare services to address the problem and receive relevant care.

One of the best ways to alleviate loneliness in seniors is through engaging the services of Responsive Home Care. Our caregiving companions spend quality time with senior loved ones through:

  • Friendly conversations
  • Engaging in fulfilling pastimes such as playing games, cards, exercise, hobbies, and favorite pursuits
  • Sharing mealtimes with each other
  • Providing the transportation and accompaniment necessary to help seniors stay active in the community around them
  • And much more

Contact us any time at 954-486-6440 for help in making certain that your senior loved one is socially active and experiencing life to the fullest!

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