The term “elder orphan” is used to describe a senior citizen who has no living relatives, or who has relatives, but they are too far away to help them out with senior care or decisions related to this.
As you can probably imagine, an elder orphan faces a unique set of challenges. Not only do they need to face the difficulties of aging just like everyone else, they are largely doing this on their own. The support of family is not there to help them if needed, or to recognize if a larger health or cognitive issue is at work, causing them to need additional help beyond what a family member would typically provide. Unless there is a friend or neighbor who is checking in on these portions of our population, this is an individual who is likely to go unnoticed and not get the help that he or she needs. It is a very unfortunate situation, and sometimes the problem is not recognized until it’s too late.
One reason why elder orphans often go without care is because they want to maintain their independence. They think that if they reach out for help, they will be thrown in a nursing home. Many people would rather suffer or tough it out than put themselves in a situation. They never come to the conclusion that there are steps in the middle when it comes to care that allow them to stay active and live on their own while still receiving the assistance that they need. That’s where in-home care comes in. This type of care helps seniors keep their lives, but some of the burden is lifted off of their shoulders by a trained caregiver.
Independence is an important component of life for seniors. After living a full life where you have spent years caring for your own needs, it can be very hard to transition into a lifestyle where care is needed. Not only is it a tough situation physically, it is a difficult thing to handle mentally.
This is one of the many benefits of in-home care. Not only does it help seniors to live safer lives when they might otherwise be on their own without family to check in on them, it also provides them with the companionship that they might have otherwise missed out on.
Do you know any elder orphans in your community? If so, speaking to them about having a professional caregiver helping them out once in a while might be a good idea, especially if you have a good relationship with this person. This is not a way to take away their independence, but rather a way to enhance it. It keeps them out of a nursing home or assisted living facility for a longer period of time and allows them to continue to live where they want. Except with the help of a professional in-home caregiver, elderly folk can live their own lives, but have the safety net of a pro on their side just in case something happens.
Leave a Reply