At Pinewoods Homecare we firmly believe that loneliness and a lack of activity are major catalysts in the deterioration of health. We provide companionship for our service users and organise activities to give them a sense of purpose; something to look forward to. Being isolated at home and only having a repetitive day-to-day existence will invariably lead to poor wellbeing and mental health problems.
The older or less active people get, the easier it is for them to develop feelings of loneliness and isolation. Immobility through illness or due to ageing often limits their chances of leaving the home environment. Their spouse or friends may have passed away, meaning they get less social interaction, which can cause depression and feelings of frustration.
Pinewoods Homecare provides a range of services to combat isolation:
General companionship
Just sitting with one of our care and support team and talking about anything at all can stimulate a service user and give them that all-important social interaction. Even if they have family who visit from time to time, they may not feel that they want to be a burden by keeping them from going about their own lives, so knowing that they can talk to one of our care and support team gives them the prolonged opportunity for social interaction.
Group days out
At Pinewoods Homecare we organise group days out for our service users. This gets them away from the house and gives them the opportunity to socialise with people living in similar circumstances to their own, who understand their situation. It may not be the same people on each trip, so it widens their social circle.
Coffee Mornings
We organise coffee mornings and other social events for our service users to meet up with other individuals who are also isolated at home. As these are regular events they get to know each other and it’s a great opportunity for them to catch up.
Animal companionship
Pinewoods Homecare provide animal companionship for service users, predominantly with cats and dogs. Research is increasingly pointing to the positive therapeutic effects of pet ownership, finding that it improves mood, lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels and the risk of a heart attack, encourages exercise and reduces stress.
Of course, many of our service users are unable to own a pet, so we offer animal companionship sessions to enable them to experience the interaction and unconditional love that the pets can offer.
Shopping, cinema, cafes
We organise trips for our service users on an individual basis to get them out of the house and stimulate their mind. We may take them shopping, to an appointment, to the cinema, to visit a friend, to a café – wherever they would like to go.