For years, home care operators have intuitively known that social isolation leads to poor health outcomes in seniors. COVID-19 has brought this reality to the forefront. Self-reported social isolation among seniors may be predictive of hospitalizations and ED visits as shared in this article.

Home care services accomplish a number of outcomes. Helping seniors feel connected, like they have an advocate in their caregiver and in the home care office that supports that caregiver, is paramount in the life of a home care client. Home care is always delivered in a team based environment that gives rise to social support mechanisms. Home care relationships among the socially isolated are not easy to obtain and need to be earned. New ways of attempting to “get to” the socially isolated in America are being attempted. In Maryland, the Dept. of Aging is launching their own program called “Community for Life”. This program among others like it being developed by other state and governing bodies are attempting to meet the need that they have known about for years, high touch services are needed to create a more healthy, stable and thriving senior community. The HomeCare Advocacy Network with our ability to help organizations scale high touch services makes even more sense now than before COVID-19. Seniors need to know that someone cares about them first and foremost and second, they need additional outlets to reach out to people who care and that is done in the most powerful and meaningful environment to a senior, the home.

Today there are great technology services that are advancing the ability of society to bring down social isolation among seniors but the most effective of these services utilizes caregivers to accomplish the end goal, a satisfied and connected senior client. At HomeCare Advocacy Network we do just that. Our Care Advocates work directly with senior clients to keep them connected to another human being who cares for them and pursues their best. We help organizations like senior living who are trying to increase their funnel and broaden their mission to individuals who want to own their own service that enables them to care for others. Hcanthrive.com for more information on how we can help you be a part of the solution for today’s aging world.