Interactive Caregiving, a Comfort Keepers’ way of serving

The Comfort Keepers approach to in-home care is centered around a concept called Interactive Caregiving. Study after study demonstrates how the principles behind this active approach to in-home care can help seniors maintain their independence, enhance their well-being, maintain their mental and emotional vitality, and help them enjoy a better quality of life at home.

The four main focuses of Interactive Caregiving are physical activity, mental stimulation, social engagement, and emotional well-being.

Physical activity keeps seniors active and healthy, contributing to a better state of well-being. Exercise makes seniors stronger and less likely to fall, says the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. A study published in 2002 in the British Medical Journal found that exercise is more effective than home hazard modifications and vision correction in preventing seniors’ at-home falls. Along with keeping seniors healthier, exercise helps reduce the severity of illness. Let Comfort Keepers motivate you to get up and go. We will gladly provide transportation to your exercise class or we’ll help you to keep moving at home.

Social engagement keeps people connected with friends and involved in events and interests. A study published in the British Medical Journal indicated that the less physically active a senior was, the greater the health benefit they reaped from being socially engaged. A Harvard School of Public Health study, found that the most socially active seniors had the slowest rate of memory decline from over a six-year period. Memory loss among the most socially engaged seniors was less than half that of the least engaged. Comfort Keepers favorite thing is providing companionship. We’ll help seniors stay connect with friends, family, and the community.

Mental stimulation ensures minds are active and vital, contributing to better mental and emotional functioning.

The Memory and Aging Project at Rush University Medical Center ― a study published in 2007 in Neurology found that a cognitively-active senior was 2.6 times less likely to develop dementia than a cognitively-inactive senior. Our Comfort Keepers’ caregivers will challenge seniors to their favorite card game or work through their crossword puzzle.

Emotional well-being helps seniors maintain a positive outlook on life and optimistic view of the future. Studying a group of 884 older adults, University of Michigan psychologists found that the seniors who scored higher on perceived control of important aspects of their lives were more likely to be alive at the study’s six- and seven year follow-ups. Having a visit from Comfort Keepers to look forward to helps seniors stay positive.

To learn more, call 603-536-6060 or visit NHComfortKeepers.com.