Everything You Need to Know About Companion Care

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If you have an ageing parent, it understandably pains you that you can’t be there for them all the time, especially if they live alone. As your parent gets older, they gradually lose the ability to perform everyday tasks and may feel isolated without someone to keep them company. 

Fortunately, there is a solution to their loneliness that solves other problems as well: companion care. Companion care is a kind of in-home care that doesn’t involve medical services. A hospice nurse may assist your parent with tasks like bathing, going to the bathroom, and managing medications, but a companion can be formal or informal, such as a family friend who stops by a few times a week. 

If your parent is feeling cut off from social interaction, it’s worth considering arranging some kind of companion care that you cannot provide alone. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of companion care and what else it entails. 

How Does Companion Care Work? 

As the name suggests, “companion” care entails keeping an elderly person company, offering socialization and emotional support. There is some overlap in duties with personal care aides, but companions do not provide medical care as mentioned previously. They are not necessarily professionals, either; you can ask a friend or relative to sit with your ageing parent for a few hours whenever they have time to make conversation and assist with basic household chores. 

However, you and your loved ones have your own lives, so it may help to hire trained senior care companions to visit your parent during the day or night. You can reach out to a companion care company or other service-providing organization for the elderly. A companion’s duties may include: 

• Basic household chores, like laundry and washing dishes; 

• Preparing meals;

• Operating entertainment systems; 

• Reading aloud; 

• Assisting with technology;

• Assisting with administrative tasks, like paying bills;

• Providing transport to appointments, the grocery store, and other errands; and

• Helping your parent navigate their own living space. 

A professional elderly companion may be able to tend to your parent’s needs at a higher level than an acquaintance. For example, they can factor in dietary restrictions when planning meals for the week, help your parent remember to take their medications on schedule, and provide deeper emotional support as they struggle with ageing.

Why is Elderly Companion Care Beneficial? 

Elderly companion care is beneficial for numerous reasons. One of the most significant benefits is in the name: companionship. Even if your parent doesn’t require extra medical attention, they will benefit from having someone to talk to throughout the day, share stories, play games, and provide social interaction. Humans are social creatures, and we need a certain level of interaction to benefit our mental health and feel connected to the world. Your parent will especially benefit from a home companion if they struggle with communication technology. 

Companion carers are also advantageous for helping your parent get out of the house. They can assist them on walks, drive them to medical appointments, and take them anywhere else your parent wants to go to maintain a sense of normalcy. 

If your parent does require higher levels of care than companionship, a non-medical senior care companion can still help them manage and organize their daily lives. From preparing meals to basic cleaning and grabbing hard-to-reach items, companions make your parent’s life easier. Such assistance is particularly beneficial for elderly folks with disabilities who need extra help with mobility and communication. 

Companion care company also takes stress off your shoulders. You love your parent, but it’s exhausting providing constant care when you have to go to work, pay your bills, and take care of your own mental health — especially if you have children that require emotional, physical, or financial support. Having someone tend to your parent’s needs when you are not around can provide you some much-needed peace of mind. 

How Much Does Senior Companion Care Cost? 

The cost of companion care varies depending on how often your parent needs it and your provider’s experience level. Senior care companions earn an average of $33,150 per year in Canada, which equates to about $17 per hour for full-time, eight-hour days (cities with higher costs of living will influence these figures; for instance, the average annual salary for an elder care companion in Alberta is $33,833). You will likely pay less if your parent only needs companionship for a few hours each day, but you should also factor in additional costs if you find someone through an agency. 

It’s good you want to spend as much time with your parents as possible as they age in place), but you cannot be present all the time. Enlisting companion care ensures your parent will have company, physical and emotional assistance, and a feeling of safety while you are away.