According to the US Census Bureau, over 50 million people are age 65 or older.  That’s a lot of seniors and even more potential senior isolation.

One of the biggest threats to America’s senior population today is isolation, although it remains among the most difficult senior health issue to recognize. The reason senior isolation is not easy to identify is that you’re less likely to have contact with an isolated senior—how can you recognize the symptoms of isolation in someone you do not have regular contact with?

According to the AARP Foundation, 17% of people 65 and older are isolated, affecting more than 8 million seniors. This means that long before the chill of winter waltzes in, many seniors are already struggling with isolation and its many effects. 

Studies have proven the health risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Isolation can be felt physically, mentally and emotionally. In addition to the mental and emotional toll of isolation, the National Institute of Health discovered that social isolation can impact a senior’s physical health with:

• An increased risk of cardiovascular disease 
• Increased risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity
• Abnormal activity in the endocrine system 
• Reduced immune system function

How do seniors become isolated?
Here are the six most common circumstances that can lead to a senior becoming isolated from others. It’s easy to understand how they can slip into isolation without much notice.

1. Living far away from their siblings, adult children and other family members, making it difficult to maintain consistent contact.

2. Today’s seniors had fewer children than the generation before them, reducing or eliminating the possibility of living close to a grown child.

3. Spouses and friends begin to pass away as an adult ages, shrinking their inner circle.

4. Seniors often become less mobile with age. They may stop driving and may not be able to walk long distances.

5. This century has witnessed a breakdown of family relationships, and Baby Boomers have been affected the most.  With a divorce rate for adults age 50 and over that has doubled since the 1990s, many seniors are living alone, further removed from their family.

6. Adults who never married has reached an all-time high, meaning more adults are entering their senior years alone.

We want to help minimize senior isolation! Won’t you join us?

Senior Cheer Patrol to the Rescue
Since senior living facilities, churches, senior centers, etc., are a terrific way for seniors to avert isolation by building strong social connections, SYNERGY HomeCare has dubbed January and February “Senior Cheer Patrol” months, designed to fill locations where seniors frequent with more cheer and excitement than seniors have felt in a long time. Our goal is to help minimize senior isolation by helping seniors meet more friends and
reconnect with old ones. 

Senior Cheer Patrol is a group of SYNERGY HomeCare employees who swoon into the senior facility donning Senior Cheer and create an afternoon of fun, camaraderie and lively conversation for seniors. Crafts, games, refreshments and snacks—anything goes that helps seniors to gather, laugh and truly having a wonderful time. It’s like speed-friending! In fact, the seniors will probably ask when the next “Cheer Patrol” event takes place!

Check with your local SYNERGY HomeCare office to see if they are hosting a Senior Cheer Patrol event. 

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For seniors, maintaining a well-balanced diet and getting enough to eat is crucial for several reasons. Nutrients and vitamins that come from good food can help seniors combat different illnesses and keep up energy and strength. However, as adults age, they can struggle with different issues that make it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy diet and people living alone can struggle to find motivation to prepare meals for just themselves. Mobility issues can also be an issue, making access to grocery stores and restaurants difficult; injuries and illnesses can make it hard to cook and even grocery shop, and cognitive disorders can make cooking a safety risk for some. It’s not always an easy task for seniors to access food and keep up a healthy diet. 

Thankfully, seniors in today’s world have a number of resources they can utilize to have groceries brought to them, and to help with meal preparation. Here are five of the best ways seniors can get food delivered straight to their doors and minimize the stress of meal planning and preparation. 

1. Order Food Online From Local Services – Several businesses have recognized the need for seniors to be able to access food without having to drive to the grocery store, walk through the aisles and wait in long lines. Many companies offer monthly and annual subscriptions for grocery delivery. Places like Amazon Fresh and Shipt allow you to have the grocery shopping done for you and delivered to your home. Companies like Burpy and Peapod may only be available in some locations, but with the growing need, these companies are likely to expand and grow in popularity. Some local grocery stores may offer this service on their own. Call and check with your local grocery stores to see what options are available to you.
2. Restaurant Delivery – For those seniors that cannot or do not want to make the food themselves, there are many delivery services that will pick up restaurant prepared food for you and deliver it to your door. GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats are just a few of these quick delivery services that will help you get food from your favorite eateries that don’t offer delivery services. 
3. Meal Kits– One of the newer trends in online ordering is meal kits. Meal kits are fully prepared meals with pre-portioned ingredients that make it easy to cook your own delicious meals. You can sign up at places like Green Chef, Blue Apron, and Hello Fresh and start receiving meals of your choice and when you need them! 
4. Nextdoor – Nextdoor is an online community set up similarly to Facebook. It’s easy to use and you can connect with neighbors and other locals in your community to request service or ask about resources that can help you. This would be a great place to see what type of volunteer groups are available that can be of assistance when it comes to grocery shopping and delivering. 
5. Hire An In-Home Aide – In-home aides are excellent resources for seniors who need assistance with any type of daily chores or daily living tasks. Two of the major benefits of hiring in-home caregivers is that they are available for your unique and personal needs and preferences. Plus, they are experienced and reliable. In-home aides can drive you to and from the grocery store and assist you while shopping, they can help you put together a grocery and meal planning list, do the shopping for you, and bring it back to your home. They can also help with meal preparation for those who struggle with cooking meals or find cooking to be a safety hazard. 
   

These options have not been available to previous generations. Seniors and their loved ones that live in today’s world have many more resources available to them and have much more help maneuvering through life more independently. Many seniors move on to assisted living facilities much sooner than they would like to because of their struggles with being able to remain independent.  Today, seniors do have the option of living comfortably where they want, longer, thanks to the many growing resources available. 

The post 5 Ways Seniors Can Have Food Delivered to their Doors appeared first on SYNERGY HomeCare of Northville.