Loneliness and Seniors

Home is a place where a person should feel the most comfortable! Abodes that are ergonomically designed ensure the comfort living of its residents with increased safety and security.

Ergonomics and aesthetics are the two major components of any design. When a house or a building meets these two parameters, the other aspects such as accessibility and safety just follow behind. And, the residents will have too little or no space for any complaints.

But in hindsight, most of the houses, even though they are ergonomically well designed, they are constructed keeping the needs of a young person in mind. With reducing physical strength and increasing needs for comfort and safety, seniors do not feel these places as their ‘home’.

Also, these places cause discomfort, compromised safety which may eventually lead to falls that could result in unwanted consequences.

Most of the western countries already have predefined architectural guidelines for the safety of their seniors while calling this ‘Aging in Place,’ this concept is yet to shine on the Indian shores.

Ageing in Place

For most seniors it would be an alien term. Before any speculations, here is the definition of the Aging in Place concept –

“A person living in the house of his or her choice without facing any kind of difficulty or discomfort in their daily living activities, irrespective of aging”

Unfortunately, there are very few design and architectural firms in India that can perform this kind of house renovation services for seniors. This, indeed, is still a void for people who want age in a safe and secured place that complies with their physical and mental needs.

Luckily, this void is being fulfilled by few of the advanced assisted living facilities in Chennai in particular, which have been constructed leveraging the world-class Aging in Place guidelines.

Designing a Place Meant for Seniors – Ergonomically and Aesthetically

It is always the simple changes that make a significant impact in life. The same applies to the aging population and their homes. You are about to learn the kind of changes that seniors need for their residences to have a seamless aging experience.

These are the same facilities and amenities that you would also witness in the modern senior living homes and advanced assisted living facilities. Continue reading to be in the known about the home health safety tips for seniors.

• Floors – The changes for safe senior living homes start with floors. As per the Aging in Place guidelines, soft materials such as rubber, cork and linoleum need to be used for flooring. These materials are known for their grip and could resist falls significantly

• Wall Support – All the walking and sitting spaces in a house need to be supported by a grab rail or a handrail. Starting from the common areas such as staircases, Bathrooms and Kitchen, grab rails come in ‘handy’ if they are installed in the reading, living, and bedrooms.

• Lighting – After the slippery floors, it is the poor lighting that causes falls. A well-illuminated floor, staircase, bathroom or kitchen is far more safer than the ones that are dimly lit. Ensure the paint shade of the room is complimenting the light and also be mindful of the placement of switches. You don’t want your senior to reach the roof or bend to the floor just to switch on the light!

• Seating – Didn’t we talk about comfort earlier? That was the anchor line of this blog! Providing the right amount of comfort all day or rather lifelong is the sole intention behind the whole renovation. The furniture is rightly cushioned with all the back-support and leg-support. They will also be accessible and always placed at a corner of the room.

• Communication – Another important aspect of aging in place which is imperative for a senior’s safety. Advanced alarm systems, emergency lockers, and intercoms provide the required safety in any given situation.

Aging in Place gives a whole new dimension of holistic living experience for seniors. This concept ensures they don’t have to deal with uncomfortable furniture or slippery floors.

If you are concerned about your aging loved one’s safety, you could avail the services from the design for aging agencies. The services will range from as simple as fixing a grab bar on a wall to as complex as redesigning the whole house.

If it is not the design change that you are looking for, there are Assisted Living Facilities that have been thoughtfully designed while employing all the guidelines recommended for Aging in Place.

Visit your nearest assisted living facility to see and realize the difference a small design change could make in the lives of elderly.

Imagine a beautiful evening, you are sitting with your friends at a seashore, the elegant sun is painting a beautiful picture on the sky’s canvas. Now imagine the same evening with your gang’s favorite music on. You all are grooving to that song as if it was a farewell celebration to the setting sun for the day. Didn’t the mention of music here just uplift the whole spirit and experience of your imagination?

Music makes everything better! Now that is the same picture at Athulya Assisted Living Facilities in Chennai.

The only difference is, instead of the seashore our happy residents occupy the comfortable and cushiony chairs in our spacious lobby. Instead of the stereo music, they sing together, play instruments and groove to their favourite moments in the song. The experience of the same old youthful days but with a little more refinement!

Musical Evenings – A Common Sight at Athulya

We all know the importance of music in life. Our inklination to this beautiful experience is innate. It is just that life gets busier as we age and the layers of career, responsibilities, savings, and living upto the typical societal norms cover this inkline forcing us to get busier and forget about music.

If there is a phase a person is more connected with music that would be his/her days of youthfulness. After that, the layers of life just start hovering. It’s not that they wouldn’t want to hear music at all but the preoccupied mind could not feel the magic of music anymore.  

Unravelling the Spirit of Music

Now that we understand what went south with our connection with music, the music therapists and the senior assisted living experts at Athulya facilities have curated the evening Musical Therapy sessions in such a way that they connect with anyone almost instantaneously! 

Starting from the famous classical numbers that soothe the spirit to the age-old regional music that takes seniors for a walk in their life’s memory lane, the music sessions cover it all and have it all. 

Active Music Therapy Sessions – 

At Athulya, the list of talents our precious seniors possess finds no end! They can paint, write, play different musical instruments, and sing. 

The active music sessions unite the singing and instrumental talents while creating a concert-like experience that is only meant for our residents. It is no surprise that almost all the seniors look forward to these weekly sessions as well as the skilled caregiving and other staff members. 

What Makes These Music Sessions So Unique? 

Our seniors understood that just like a song is empty without the melodies and harmonies, life is empty without melodies of memories and harmonies of happy moments. And, our music sessions bring each one of them close to their memories and happiest moments of life once again. 

People create memories during the concerts but our concerts are to help people live in those memories yet again. Probably this is what makes these sessions so unique! 

The beauty of music in general is that the goodness of it can heal or enhance happiness. And, medical sciences have already conceded that music is immensely beneficial for both physiological and psychological health. 

This is another reason why every senior citizen would be eager to be a part of this musical experience that is nothing short to be magical. 

Music Sessions – Just a stroke in the big painting of a holistic living experience! 

A lot has been said comparing life to a journey.  What if it is not a journey at all but a beautiful book of music and dance? 

In fact, the essence of music is so close to the essence of life. Music too has highs and lows just like our life. Maybe this is the reason why people have this instantaneous connection with music and the aging youths at Athulya are not an exemption for it. 

Music sessions are just a part of the plethora of wholesome and holistic activities at Athulya. With all the painting sessions, book reading events, handcraft competitions, board games, and other daily fun-filled activities, as a senior citizen you are experiencing an immersive life experience with people who are aging alike and thinking alike!  

Want to witness this wholesomeness? Book a facility tour if you want to be a part of this music and many other life enhancing experiences at Athulya. Follow us for more tips on health, diet, fitness and other important aspects of aging. 

Deliberately delaying the effects of ageing is the major intention behind exercises for seniors. However, seniors need to watch their step before choosing the type of physical activity, considering their physical capabilities. Sure, workouts are to improve the health and wellness of everyone but as seniors advance in age, they develop certain cardiovascular risks, especially if they perform high intensity workouts.

The intensity levels may vary senior to senior. It is important to consider all these possible risks before plotting a senior’s workout regime. Most doctors suggest the best aerobic workout gets seniors’ heart rate up for straight 30 minutes, even if they break each session as low as 10 minutes each day.

What is an aerobic exercise?

In simple terms aerobic exercises are the ones that focus on pumping the oxygenated blood from heart to other working muscles. These workouts stimulate the breathing and heart rates to sustain and maintain the rates per minute as long as possible. 

What are the types of aerobic exercises?

As mentioned above, any exercise that pumps blood to the larger and smaller working muscles can be considered as an aerobic exercise. Here are a few best aerobic exercises for seniors.

• Brisk walking
• Jogging or running
• Swimming (Best exercise for seniors with knee pain)
• Cycling or any other sports activity
• Gardening

Consistency is the key

The secret behind consistency of any workout is how much the senior enjoys it. It could be a 10-minute session of outdoor walking or playing pickleball, choose the ones that make seniors wake up and just get the session done everyday, thoroughly enjoying it.

How much is too much?

Aerobics or cardio exercises pretty much fit everyone but the frequency and intensity of each exercise should be considered before sticking to a particular regime. Take a look at how much is too much for seniors.

• Moderate intensity workout for 30 minutes with a 3-minute break for 5 days a week (or)
• Intensive workout for 20 minutes with a 2-minute break for 3 days a week (or)
• A mix of both moderate and intense workout for 20-30 minutes, 3-5 days a week.

Why should seniors do aerobic exercises?

Aerobic exercises are popularly known as cardio workouts and as the name implies these exercises focus on improving blood circulation to all the parts of the body. They play a major role by helping seniors in fighting many cardiovascular conditions and other illnesses.

Here are a few benefits of aerobic exercises for seniors. Continue reading to understand the benefits of cardio workouts.

• Boosts cardiovascular health

Aerobic workouts are in the list of highly recommended physical activities for people who want to avoid cardiovascular conditions but people who have undergone one. A low intensity workout such as walking can enhance the health of the heart and its muscles at a significant level.

• Lowers blood pressure

Cardio workouts are known for raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and for lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in blood. This, in turn, shows visible impact on blood pressure by lowering it significantly.

• Enhances sleep

Insomnia and other sleep disorders are a few conditions that take a toll on elderly. High intensity cardio workouts such as swimming and cycling will enhance sleep in elderly. However ensure the exercise is completed at least 2 hours before the bedtime and it is regular to ensure better results.

• Lowers the effects of asthma and its symptoms

Low intensity aerobic exercises are recommended for people with asthma and for people with difficulty in breathing. However consult your doctor as the physical activities for people with asthma are completely different from the regular aerobics.

Other benefits, including reducing chronic pain which is frequent in seniors, helping elders in managing healthy weight, strengthening immunity, improving cognitive and brain health, and enhancing the overall quality of living. Consult your doctor or your visiting doctor if you are availing home healthcare service for seniors as they help in opting the best aerobic exercise after assessing the physical condition thoroughly.

Why is Sensory Decline Fairly Inevitable in Seniors?

“Dim vision, hard of hearing and trembling voice? Surely you must be above 60?”.  This query shows that typically all health issues of seniors are easily attributed to their age.

Sensory decline is fairly inevitable in seniors. A study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society claims that nearly 94% of the adults above 60 complain of at least one sensory impairment.

This fact is not something to be ignored and shelved.  Older adult mental health becomes greatly affected due to the sensory decline in their old age. Seniors must compulsorily seek therapy for sensory issues on a periodic basis. Elders with sensory issues also need the services of a reliable senior healthcare assistant. This can be provided by assisted living facilities in a capable manner.

What are the sensory issues faced by seniors in their old age?

After 60, most seniors find that at least one of their 5 sense organs is affected. Their sensory capabilities of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch show a significant decline in the following manner.

• Eye – Dimming or blurring of vision. Sensitivity to light or glare, faded appearance of colours, Double vision, etc are some of the health ailments that need therapy for sensory issues.
• Ear – Inability to hear high-pitched or low-pitched sounds, ringing in the ears, muffled sounds, inability to distinguish between words, etc. need therapy for sensory issues.
• Taste and Smell – Elders who have lost their ability to taste certain flavours or sense odours must definitely seek therapy for sensory issues.
• Touch – With age, the threshold of pain decreases and seniors are not able to withstand even the slightest pain. They also experience numbness and a delayed reaction to touch for which they need therapy for sensory issues.

Of all the sensory health issues, the sense of taste seemed to decline rapidly in seniors with age. Nearly. 74% of adults complained of a lack of sensitivity to taste. 32% of the elders complained of poor tactile or touch sensation. In fact, it is surprising to note that a study by Dr.Jayant Pinto at the University of Chicago claimed that olfactory dysfunction in seniors had a mortality rate that exceeded even that of heart disease or cancer!

So, it is very clear that elders do experience a sensory decline after 60 and must take therapy for sensory issues in order to avoid further complications. Sensory issues have a major impact on older adult mental health and hence must be attended to, immediately.

How do sensory issues affect older adult mental health?

Most of the mental health disorders experienced by aged adults may be connected with some sensory loss. For instance, one-third of the elders with visual impairment suffer from depression. Similarly, two-thirds of the seniors with hearing deficiency also suffer from the same.

Therapy for sensory issues in elders

Seniors need great support in their advanced years, especially if they experience a decline in their sensory faculties. The following are the ways in which caregivers at home or assisted living facilities can offer therapy for sensory issues for seniors

1. Eye – Periodical eye check-up, regular yoga and eye exercises, check-ups for glaucoma, cataract and macular degeneration
2. Ear – Periodical ear check-up, advise and motivate the use of hearing aids
3. Taste – Prepare healthy diet with extra seasoning, provide a doctor consultation to induce better taste sensitivity, offer the prescribed medicines
4. Smell – Arrange for ENT consultation for seniors, encourage nasal breathing exercises, provide a dust-free environment for senior health, install gas detectors with alarms for elder safety.
5. Touch – Check the room and water temperature for a bath every day, check the seniors for bodily injuries.

Over and above all this, seniors must be provided with a stress-free and secure environment where they experience not only comfort but companionship and care as well. Elders with sensory health issues must never be left alone but need constant monitoring 24×7 by a senior health care assistant. If this is not possible at home, it is better to place the elder under the care of able assisted living facilities.

How can assisted living facilities help seniors with sensory health issues?

Assisted living facilities  play a pivotal role in helping elders with sensory health issues in the following ways.

1. Create a senior-friendly environ with special focus to the sensory needs of elders.
2. Arrange for a seasoned senior health care assistant to be with the elder 24×7 to take special care of their sensory health
3. Organize regular doctor visits at home to check the sensory health of elders
4. Prepare a senior-friendly healthy and tasty diet, keeping in mind their state of physical and sensory health
5. Organize regular eye sound and speech exercises for improving sensory health
6. Maintain a stress-free ambience with plenty of care and companionship for elders.

Elders do experience a decline in their sensory health as they age. But with adequate care from able assisted living facilities, they can regain their sensory health with amazing alacrity.

The beauty of life is every person’s life is the same from a broader perspective – infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and matured adulthood. Even though it all looks the same for all, as you narrow down the perception, every life is different to its core.

Like there are two sides to every coin, all the stages of life have their perks and downsides of their own. However, matured adulthood has more downsides than the perks, unlike the other stages of life. Living the stage of life that is considered as both undesirable and unavoidable, seniors face different types of challenges in front of them.

Even though technology has revolutionized the living hood of men on this planet, every time an issue is resolved, it opens doors for a new challenge. This is the same case with the seniors. This blog is an attempt to discuss the most common issues faced by the elderly during their matured adulthood.

Challenges Faced by Seniors as They Age –

A person’s quality of life is defined by the quality of the following aspects in one’s life – Physiological, psychological, societal, emotional and financial. The quality of the elder’s life, too, is dependent on these five crucial aspects of life. Continue reading the blog to understand the challenges faced by seniors in these aspects, especially in this generation.

1. Declined societal engagement and loneliness –

Human life and its patterns change for every generation and people of all ages have enough scope to adapt to the new changes except the older generations. There can be many reasons for the slowness of this adaptation but it results in a decline in social engagement and loneliness.

On top of that, sticking to the traditional social norms and ageism can become an added burden for elders to increase their social circle. This can lead to loneliness in seniors. Take measures to increase the social circle. Joining a local service club, developing a hobby and meet like-minded people will help.

2. Physical health and dependency –

Ageing is inevitable and with that reducing physical health and dependency, in order to live a quality life, are common phenomenons. Reducing physical health and increasing dependency can put seniors in constant pressure, declining them to accept the changes.

The increasing demand for regular medical care and for professional caregiving in elderly age, requires them to be in need of periodic medical help, if not regular. This will also lead to increased dependency and, sometimes, requires the help of professional caregivers.

3. Living the day to day life –

Getting the day to day activities such as bathing, grooming, cooking, maintaining the home, and personal hygiene can become quite some tasks to carry on with for elders. It is imperative as per a recent study, 1 in every 40 seniors above 60 years are in need of certain degree of help in carrying out the day to day activities.

They are left with no choice but compromising on the quality of life when the assistance is not provided in that particular activity.

4. Financial health –

Probably one of the most underrated aspects of senior living. So engrossed in bringing up their children, seniors tend to forget that they need to be healthy in financial aspects. With the reduced physical strength, seniors without financial wellness tend to struggle.

The traditional saving methods are not keeping up with the pace of societal changes and the expenses of today’s life. It is everyone’s own responsibility to secure their future and the states and countries need to think innovatively to find answers for this phenomenon.

5. Relationships and bonding –

It might sound absurd but the norms of maintaining a relationship and the facet of every bond for that matter change from generation to generation. Priorities change and so do people. Seniors should understand the hard-side of this hard-truth and accept the reality.

The best part is, a person can make friends wherever he wants. All that it needs is widened arms and spreaded lips with a smile on them.

Old is the time a person sees a decline in every aspect of life and the future becomes a question itself. Fortunately, there are ways like assisted living facilities and senior independent living homes that address all these crucial aspects of elderly life.

Every senior citizen deserves that perfect retired life after lifelong struggles that laid down roads for the bright future of their children. Providing your elderly parents with an environment that fulfils all their needs both physical and emotional is not an easy task. It requires you to consider various aspects of elderly living.

Loneliness is one of the major challenges every individual faces at certain point of their life. However, it would be seniors who experience it the most considering the challenges that are brought by age – challenges such as not being able to keep their social life due to reduced physical mobility, hearing and vision.

Engagement, life that does not make them feel monotonous and an opportunity to make friends even in the elderly is what seniors need the most as they step into the retired life. Here are a few ways how you can increase their engagement with life.

These tips work for both the seniors who are living in modern senior living communities and for elders who are living in their home but alone. Efforts Change Their Mindset – Seniors might feel their age is carrying them away from all the beautiful moments of life. Take efforts to make them feel they are important and their elderhood is being considered in every decision you make. Keeping them in loop about the whole progress of your life – little things about your kids like their school, sports involvement and other progress in your life will make them feel good.

Connection Over Contact – Just a call over the evening does not move loneliness even by a inch from the surroundings of your parents. Try to establish a special connection, especially if your elders are living assisted living facilities, and try to nurture it as much as possible. Talk something that makes them feel better and make them think they are being given preference in your life.

The Real Talk Helps – More than just knowing their wellbeing at the facility and asking if they have had their food, try to get into details. Ask what they did the whole day and every detail of it. Talk to their friends or housemates and ask them about your parents’ wellbeing. This not only helps them in feeling connected, but also make them feel that you indeed care  for their wellbeing.

Visit in Person – No matter how many hours you voice call or video call, a physical visit regular visits will make your parents feel that they is someone who is longing to see them. Your sight or your children’s sight can bring immense happiness to your aging parent. A touch of your hand is worth a thousand calls for them. Do not let your own life carried away from your parents. Try to visit them at regular intervals.   

Write Them Regularly – You might think this is an old and unconventional idea but your parents won’t. No video or virtual call can fill the emotional void like the old-school letter does. Write to your parents regularly. It would make their day more than you could imagine. Talk about how you feel about them and what impact their presence in your life is making. Try to be honest when you are writing letters as letters carry not words but emotions. 

Few children think that their parents are with them and so they wouldn’t be a chance for them to feel lonely, only to be surprised by the reality check. Even if the senior surrounded by hundreds of people, loneliness can still hover their life. It is not about being with people but being with those who kindles the spark of fun and engaging life.

Consider assisted living  centres and senior living communities that take care of your parents’ emotional and physical needs in such a way that your parents do not have a chance to think of your physical absence in their life. Yes, it is possible with a few assisted living facilities.  

In today’s fast-moving world, it is inevitable that a substantial children live away from their aging parents mainly on employment considerations. Current demands of lifestyle does not permit visiting and spending quality time with senior citizens of the family. Loneliness and subsequent isolation of elderly population specifically senior citizens is a growing health concern amongst families and healthcare community.

Loneliness is essentially an intrinsic yet unpleasant emotional response to isolation or lack of acquaintances. Loneliness typically includes anxiety and a lack of connectedness with humanity .Additionally, aging inhibits mobility of elders. This loneliness among the elderly may also be triggered by physical and geographic isolation, poor economic status, unexpected demise of life- partner, and lack of connectivity, related patient caretaker isolation and resistance to technology.

Consequences of Isolation

• Negative Impact on Physical/ Mental Health
• Increased rate of Mortality
• Vulnerability to abuse
• Decline of Cognitive Functions and enhanced risk of Dementia
• Depression
• Social Isolation subsequently causing Long Term Chronic Illness including high blood pressure, arthritis, osteoporosis ,glaucoma and obesity
• Causes Social Disconnect and triggers a Pessimistic Attitude about future
• Makes senior citizens prone to long term dependency and care Contagious impact on fellow citizens
• Results in sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy habits and unhygienic routines

Remedies for Isolation and Loneliness

The impact of loneliness on health and well-being of senior citizens has a profound impact on costs since they are the crucial customers of health care .Investing time and supporting organizations that offer companionship will help reduce healthcare costs and improve living standards.

Simple Methods

• Increasing transportation facilities for addressing connectivity issues
• Making cost effective adaptive technology available like hearing aids and walkers and ensuring periodic health check- ups
• Teaching and encouraging technology usage through social media/mobile apps as Skype/Face Book/ What’sUp/LinkedIn to communicate with family and friends
• Enrolment in senior centre activities including libraries ,reading rooms, prayer meetings
• Daily exercise regimes for positive body image, physical fitness and combating depression
• Giving extra emotional support to both senior citizens and caretakers
• Regular communication through phone calls and notifying neighbours
• Pursuing hobbies thereby promoting a sense of purpose
• Adoption of pets which triggers a family bonding
• Periodic scheduled visits from friends/family
• Social outings/Family Get-Togethers.

Community Efforts

Caregiver For Seniors

Many social agencies provide Home Healthcare Services through caregivers. Caregivers are essentially paid personal or health care aides, who assist people needing support due surgery, chronic diseases, injury, mental or physical disability, fragility and age. Their duties include

• Taking care of healthcare needs of senior citizens as engaging in physical and mental exercises, providing medication reminders, escorting on hospital/physician visits, maintaining and follow-ups of diet-charts
• Running house hold errands like preparing meals and feeding, making beds /changing linens, cleaning activities, assisting in bathing/dressing/grooming
• Providing physical escorting to events and providing companionship through constructive engagement

Assisted Living (AL) Facility

This new concept of ‘AL for aging gracefully’ is essentially a paradigm shift from medically connoted nursing homes It is a socially- rewarding, self-reliable route for connecting senior citizens to the future .AL revolves on providing support systems in a homelike atmosphere for assisting daily activities of senior citizens along with sufficient touch points to enable social engagement simultaneously. AL residents have numerous benefits given by skilled staff like 24/7 food with individual preferences, assistance in daily routines, healthcare support and transportation.

Conclusion

Aging is an inevitable aspect of humanity. Yet, it may be endured gracefully with community support so that seniors lead a pragmatic autonomous life in conductive environment. After all, who doesn’t want to live with dignity?

A ‘caregiver’ which is sometimes referred to as a ‘carer’ is an unpaid or a paid member who takes the primary responsibility of an individual’s social network by providing assistance to those who are mentally or physically disabled, chronically ill, injured or an elderly family member. ‘Care giving‘ is one of the common terms which is used to attend to the needs of old people, disabled and those with mental disorders. Some of the primary duties and responsibilities of a caregiver are discussed below:

• Assisting an individual who is suffering from a chronic illness or a disease.
• Basic food preparation including preparing meals, shopping, housekeeping and laundry.
• General health care such as managing medications and appointment reminders.
• Paying the monthly bills such as mobile and electricity bills etc,.
• Mobility assistance such as bathing and grooming.
• Constant health monitoring like tracking any changes in an individual’s health, recording and reporting any differences.
• Providing emotional support in matters relating to personal and health-related.

Role as a Care giver

Care giving is a complicated task despite the relationship between a caregiver and an individual. The activity gets harder as the recipients get older. More than half of the care givers are of the opinion that their role as a care giver takes a toll on their job as well as their family lives. It is reported that almost every care givers have undergone anxiety and irritability during their role as a care giver. Reports suggest that about 70% of family care givers are facing clinical symptoms of depression which is caused due to feelings of isolation and loneliness associated with the care giving experience.

Causes of Care giver isolation and loneliness

Most of the care givers feel a sense of isolation and loneliness due to withdrawal from previous habits and life styles. Some care givers find themselves trapped at home, being neglected by their friends and family members and lacking support from other care givers who are facing a similar situation. This could lead to withdrawal from various social activities and relationships that they had previously indulged in.

Meanwhile, there are few care givers who are literally facing isolation. Like for example, a spouse assisting their partner round-the-clock may feel unable to leave their care recipient. As a result, their time for leisure activities and personal rejuvenation is reduced to a great extent since they concentrate only on their care recipient. They are engaged in various activities like managing medications, frequent doctor visits and weekly runs to grocery store.

Aftermath of Caregiver isolation

A care giver may face physical side effects as a result of onset of depression. It could lead to complications like weight gain, increase in blood pressure caused by stress, diabetes, stroke and premature death.

Isolation and loneliness is a serious issue faced by most of the care givers to certain degree during their role as a care giver. However, they need not hesitate to find more support during their journey.