There are many services designed to make life easier for people, to solve common problems or save time. These may not be senior services specifically, but they can really make life easier as you get older and help you age wisely and well. Don’t just think of typical senior services when trying to help your elder loved one stay safe and comfortable at home…here are five ideas of “not so senior” services that can benefit us all!
Household Help
A lot of what our EasyLiving caregivers do are tasks you may not think of as strictly senior services, but are things that help the household run more smoothly. For example, home care services can include: laundry and ironing, decluttering and organizing, gardening and watering plants, light housekeeping, meeting household repair people or service providers, and seasonal tasks (wrapping and mailing gifts, cleaning/reopening a patio/pool area, etc.).
Transportation
With the explosion of services like Uber and Lyft, people of all ages are seeing the advantages of driving services. Even if you still drive, it might be nice to have someone drive you at night or when going longer distances/to unfamiliar places. Having someone drive you to appointments and shopping can be great…you can get dropped off right out front with no need to fight for a parking spot.
In addition to the “not so senior” services like ride sharing apps, there are specific senior services providing transportation. You can find these transportation options through home care companies like EasyLiving or by contacting your local aging resource center. Your public transportation provider may offer senior discounts or special options for those with limited mobility (such as DART in Pinellas County).
Concierge Services
There’s no reason to stop attending favorite events or traveling because you have limited mobility or some health issues (as long as your doctor says it’s okay). An example of one of the first concierge senior services we provided at EasyLiving was for a client who had seasonal tickets to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, but had decided she no longer felt comfortable attending. She didn’t like driving there and hated trying to arrange rides with friends, she had difficulty navigating the parking lot and entrance, and she sometimes needed help getting to the bathroom. With our concierge services, she now had a companion to drive her to the shows and attend to her needs. Concierge services can also assist in arranging logistics and serving as your personal assistant.
Healthy Meal Preparation
Healthy eating can be hard to maintain, especially if you live alone. We see many older clients who simply snack all day (unfortunately, usually not on healthy snacks) or eat only convenience foods. Whether you don’t like to cook or just find it a hassle as a single person, there’s no need to eat junk anymore with all the choices available.
There are places like Dinner Done in Tampa where you can put together meals with easy recipes and prepared ingredients, or even have them delivered to you. There are numerous healthy meal delivery services available online.
Then, there’s the option of hiring your own personal chef to come in and help you prepare meals suited just to your liking. Check out The Guy Chef in Pinellas County (see his empty nester package!) and for all types of affordable, customized options contact us about EasyLiving meal prep. Our caregivers can come in every day to prepare meals and provide companionship, or come in once/week to do grocery shopping and prepare meals in advance (tailored to special diets, preferences, and we can even help you save on your grocery bill!).
Most local senior services also include meals since nutrition is a common problem for many elders. Most communities have one or more Meals on Wheels options as well as group dining sites for seniors. Check early, as these services often have waiting lists.
Health Management
This is a broad category, so there are almost unlimited and unlimited services and products to help you manage your health. We’ll name a few categories/ideas here that we think are especially great.
- Medication management tools: a variety of medication management apps, simple pill boxes, electronic pill boxes, online medical record tools, and medication interaction checkers.
- Healthcare advocates: for someone of any age facing a serious medical diagnosis or managing a chronic condition, a professional advocate can help navigate the system and coordinate your care. People often think about wanting to find the best specialist when they have a certain condition, but even more importantly an advocate can help you find ALL the best providers and ensure they’re working together for what you want.
- Healthy living: fitness apps and wearable devices, personal trainers (here’s our favorite personal trainers, specialized in senior services), exercise tools, food scales and more!
This holiday season, consider giving the gift of a healthy, happy life to someone who already has too much “useless” stuff. All of these services and products make great gifts!
For more help locating senior services and non-age specific services to help you age well, contact our team at 727-447-5845. We offer gift certificates for services such as household help, transportation, and concierge senior services.