We provide companionship care for elderly, convalescing and disabled clients, and one of the reasons why we take so much pride in the work we do is that we know how much of an impact loneliness and isolation can have. We’ve seen it for ourselves, and we’ve never stopped taking a huge amount of pleasure in the transformation which companionship can bring about in the lives of the people we work with.
Preventing Loneliness
It’s fairly easy to conjure up an idea of what loneliness means, and how upsetting it must be for a person to feel that they are genuinely alone. Likewise it’s possible to imagine knowing that you have friends and family who care about you, but who, through circumstances such as illness or simple geography, aren’t able to offer the consolation of face to face, in person contact. Even an awareness of how this must feel, however, doesn’t fully capture the impact which a lack of human contact can have on people’s lives.
According to the Royal College of Nursing, for example, a lack of social contact can increase the likelihood of early death by 26%. Not only is this figure shocking in its own right, but it’s also the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes per day, and is a higher figure than that created by obesity and a lack of physical activity. The figures don’t have to be this dramatic in order to underline the impact which social isolation can cause; according to the British Geriatrics Society, for example, older patients who live alone are 50% more likely to access emergency care and 40% more likely to have over 12 general practice appointments in a 12 month period, when compared to older patients who don’t live alone.
Support & Reassurance
Our understanding of loneliness isn’t driven simply by a knowledge of the impact it can have on the mental and physical wellbeing of the individuals involved, however, no matter how important that impact might be. Our grasp of how damaging a lack of social contact can be is informed by our daily experience of the transformative power of even the smallest levels of companionship. For some of our clients the support we provide amounts to something as simple as a cup of tea or coffee and a chat every day, in the company of someone who becomes a true friend. This alone can make a huge difference to the life of the client themselves, and can offer a massive amount of reassurance to their loved ones, who can relax in the knowledge that we are providing a highly professional service delivered with an unmatched personal touch.
Professional & Personal Care
The first point to emphasise about< companionship care is that it is a combination of two different but equally important aspects of care as a whole. The first of these is the professional care being delivered. Support is provided by trained professionals with the expertise and experience needed to provide care in a safe and effective manner, and all interactions with clients take place against this backdrop of focused professionalism. The second aspect is the personal component, and it is this aspect which is much harder to quantify and, if anything, is even more important.
The personal care given is what turns the relationship between carer and client into a genuine friendship in which the client feels cared about and respected, and never feels that they are simply a ‘case’ being dealt with. It’s the personal aspect which can be something as simple as helping the client get out into the fresh air for a while, sharing a chat and a stroll and feeling the sunlight on their face. At the same time it can help to make it possible to start running those small errands which can become big challenges with very little warning. Things as simple as popping out to the shops, to post a letter or to enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake can, without help, become insurmountable obstacles, but even the most basic level of support can help clients start to live their lives to the full again.
Practical & Emotional Aspects
It can be tempting to separate the practical and emotional aspects of companionship care, but the truth is that they can often end up being one and the same thing. One of our case studies, for example, outlines the way in which carers can help clients to look after their pets, in this case finches and – even more impressively – baby finches. Pets of this kind offer companionship for many people and the threat of not being able to look after them after many years of being together is one which is deeply distressing. Companionship care can make the difference between having to think about finding a new home for a much loved pet and being able to carry on sharing its company for many years to come.
This is just one example of the way in which practical help can also fill an emotional need, not least by demonstrating to the client that there is someone who cares for them and wants to take the time and effort to help them. This time and effort might be spent catching up on housework around the house, providing a bit of company at the same time as being an extra pair of hands. It could involve helping a client attend a social club or day centre which would otherwise be beyond their capability to reach, or even making sure that they can still go away on holiday. From fun things like day trips out and keeping up with hobbies to practicalities such as paying bills, dealing with benefit claims and even working technology like a smart phone or tablet, every example is different, because the key to companionship care is that it is exactly tailored to the needs of the client.
Companionship is at the heart of the help given, from the smallest bit of physical assistance to the hours spent sharing a trip down memory lane with a client who loves reminiscing. It’s about creating friendship as much as it is about ending loneliness, and we know from experience just how beneficial a friendship of this kind can be.