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Say ‘Bye-Bye’ to Loneliness

‘Loneliness’ has recently paved its way into the list of ‘deadly diseases’, which is more prominent among Elderly people. Indian Health experts have declared ‘loneliness’ to be a recent health epidemic and have said that it is “as deadly as smoking daily”. There are hundreds of millions of people struggling with loneliness and it should not be normalized. People, especially Elderly people, feel lonelier, when:

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- They lose their partner

- Live far away from their children and grandchildren

- Don’t have many people to socialize with

- Having hearing or mobility issues

- Struggling with financial insecurity

Some people avoid social interactions, and some want to but don’t have anybody to socialize with. Don’t be confused, as they are two different things. ‘Social Isolation’ is when you don’t have many people to interact with, whereas ‘Loneliness’ is when you feel alone. Though both these can go hand-in-hand, it is important to recognize the differences as each issue affects people differently

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There are many early signs of loneliness that we can identify and help people in need with. To put it in simple words, people who lack social conversations and relationships, tend to feel lonelier. Though this cannot be the only factor that determines loneliness, other factors to consider can be:

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- Lack of irregular sleeping patterns

- Change in appetite

- Refusing to socialize much

- Lack of every

-day motivation

- Mood swings

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There can be many negative outcomes if these signs are neglected, both in the individual’s mental and physical health. If you notice any of the above or see something that is different in an Elderly person that you know well, please reach out to find help. They say, ‘Self-love is the best love’, Here are a few ways you can drive out loneliness:

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  • There can be many negative outcomes if these signs are neglected, both in the individual’s mental and physical health. If you notice any of the above or see something that is different in an Elderly person that you know well, please reach out to find help. They say, ‘Self-love is the best love’, Here are a few ways you can drive out loneliness:

  • Socialize with Small Talks: Do your mates go for walks in a group daily? That’s a good place to start. Join the group on alternate days and in no time, you will want to join them every day. Remember, these small talks will help you get comfortable gradually.

  • Get Active: Is solitude your better friend? It’s okay. Start doing light workouts and physios in the comfort of your home. Keep your mind and body relaxed and connect with your inner self

  • Make your phone your best friend: Making a call to your friends and relatives once in a while and having video calls and exchanging messages will help you feel included.

  • New day, new beginning: Make a list of activities or places you want to visit or do and try to strike off one from the list every month.

  • Prioritize your health: A good healthy diet and high-quality sleep are essential for good mental health. Good nutrition improves your physical health, balances your feelings, and takes care of your physical body. A good sleep, on the other hand, makes you less prone to chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, etc

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Some other ways to get rid of loneliness and Social Isolation are:

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  • Helping Others: Did you notice someone else going through the same phase as you do? Offering them a helping hand to come out of that isolation, would mentally help you to feel less lonely.

  • Getting a pet: Though it is not a replacement for humans, it surely will give you better company and make you feel less lonely. Plus, their love for you is unconditional so they will help you get through tough days easily

  • Tutoring: Were you a good gym coach back in the day? Or a yoga instructor? Were you everyone’s favourite professor in college? Make this your new job and start taking classes at your convenience.

  • Making plans with friends and family: Do you feel everyone around you is too busy to make recreational trips? Be the bigger person plan a mini-holiday and make new memories.

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Feeling lonely or isolated is completely normal, please don’t let anyone invalidate your feelings. However, dwelling on those emotions is wrong. Seek the right help and overcome those little demons because everyone deserves a happy, loving, and fun life. If you are still unsure of how to overcome loneliness, join Companion. We offer the best quality services within Chennai (and hope to expand within the State and other States soon) for Elderly people and ensure you feel less lonely

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How to strengthen relationship for Grandparents and Grandkids?

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One of the best relationships that we cherish in our lifetime is the one that we share with our grandparents. They are our first best friends and our partners in crime. From riding piggybacks to receiving secret deposits to special lunch deliveries in pre-school to surprise pick-ups in school to being understanding through rebellious teenage years to jumping with pride on the day of graduation – our grandparents always try to be there with us during all of our milestones in life. As children grow up, the bond between grandparents and them tends to grow stronger when they spend more quality time together. Whether your grandchildren live near you or far away, you can always make the effort to make exciting memories.

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If they live nearby: Being physically close to your grandchildren is one of the strongest factors in having a good rapport with them. This shows that you are always available for them to relax and bond with you.

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• INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Grandparents are the best role models to provide a sense of their hereditary and cultural values. They help in providing you with the best nourishing and healthy foods that are essential in the infancy stage. Grandparents would not complain about giving their undivided attention to the kids. - Read their favourite bedtime stories - Take them for small strolls around the neighbourhood - Play ball games, like Catch, in the park - Invite them over for sleepovers along with their cousins - Develop the habit of playing educational games like Word Building that will help the child’s learning skills - Take endless photos of their younger days as they grow up so fast - Help them with school activities

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• TEENS

The tricky phase of every child’s life is their teens when they try various activities sports and hobbies to find their personality and build on it. These are also the years where the knowledge and life experiences of grandparents can help to shape their lives and ideologies that will be etched into their minds and hearts. - Plan regular family trips to move out of their comfort space to teach them life values - Make ‘Tea Party’ a ritual, to not miss a beat in their life - Get involved in their interests to have more topics to talk about - Play and teach board games - Ask for their help in learning the new technology to be the cool Grandparent - Go out for dinner once a month at their favourite restaurant - Have impromptu short road trips where you two can openly talk about life and share inputs to shape one another

 

• ADULTS

Most of our adulthood goes into making money and settling into life. The time shared with our family are moments that make us appreciate the little things as well. As adults get carried away in their busy lives, grandparents can make that extra effort to remind them life is much more than the things they stress about.

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- Reminisce over childhood photos and share your favourite memories

- Take work-life advice and life advice from the wisest person next to you

- Pass on your trades and tricks in cooking, managing finances to maintain a work-life balance            and more

- Take an extra leap to always being in contact despite their busy schedules

 

Always remember, the relationship between grandparents and grandkids is a wonderful feeling and to keep the fire going, the effort must be made from both sides. Keep trying all you can until one day, your grandkid will surely start reciprocating the same love and effort to make new memories with you!

 

For all the grandparents who live far away from their grandkids, we will have another post coming up real soon on how you can build a relationship and keep it fun and memorable. For now, you’ve got Companion! We can become your extended family member, so anytime you miss your Grandchildren, reach out to us and we will create new memories on your behalf. Our services will soon be extended through the state and other states as well. Stay tuned for more updates!

Fitness is the new goal!

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In today’s time, everyone is focused on staying fit, active and healthy. Whether you are a teenager or an elderly person, this thought is undoubtedly on everybody’s New Year resolution list. For senior citizens, consistently exercising can help with staying fit, make you feel younger and independent, 
improve your balance and control health issues like diabetes or heart disease.
However, the elderly, unlike youngsters, shy away from hitting the gym. Home workouts are an easily available solution for this.


Read along to learn some simple exercises that will help elderly people stay in shape:


1. Walking


Elders prefer walking as the easiest and most efficient way to stay fit and active. 45 minutes
to an hour of brisk walk around the beach or park, every day can do wonders for you, 
physically and mentally. 

  • Join your neighbours in a group chat and religiously commit to taking a walk every 

day.

  • Book for ‘Walking Partner’ on our website and enjoy a nice breezy walk around the 

beach or park while you share your life experiences with your new buddy.


2. Chair Yoga


This is a low-impact form of exercise but has so many benefits, like improving your muscles, 
flexibility, mobility and so on. It creates less stress on your arms and legs and is super 
convenient to do.

  • Seated twist

  • Overhead stretch

  • Seated cat stretch

Book for Yoga services and a yoga professional will help you teach more simple exercises.


3. Home Workouts


There are so many simple yet beneficial workouts that can be performed by you on a daily 
basis to keep you physically fit and active. 

 

  •  Heel raises

  •  Toe taps

  •  Single-leg balance

  •  Ankle rotation

You can book a professional trainer who can help teach you simple workouts that 
can be beneficial for you.

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4. Stretching

 

The final step after following any of the above is to relax your body and the muscles by stretching them. Here are a few ways in which you can do them:

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  • Shoulder stretch 

  • Neck rotation

  • Seated knee to chest

  • Overhead side stretch

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5. Swimming

 

If walking is not your best friend, try alternatives like swimming as it can be gentle to your joints, boost mental health, improve muscle tone and strength and more.

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  • Water resistance activities like arm curls, leg swings etc.

  • Aqua yoga is a great way to relax your muscles and also reduce blood pressure and stress.

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Physical activities alone will not lead to a healthy life. Eating a balanced diet is also crucially important.

  • Consuming sufficient protein will help in maintaining muscle strength. Foods like seafood, dairy, peas etc., are easy finds.

  • Dairy is a source of calcium for the body which results in healthy bones and lower blood pressure.

  • Eating nuts daily - like almonds and walnuts – will help in strengthening and rebuilding our muscles as they contain a high percentage of amino acids.

  • Seeds like sunflower seeds or chia seeds have high fibre content, which will help you feel full and help regulate your digestion throughout the day.

  • Aim to eat more fruits and vegetables as they can be beneficial in different ways, like weight loss or gain, increased fibre content and more.

  • Try your best to drink 4-5l of water every day as it helps to boost energy and endurance.

  • Switch to healthy fats, like olive oil, avocado and nuts as they can help in reducing cholesterol.

 

Staying fit and healthy requires a lot of determination. You can find YouTube videos demonstrating the above-mentioned exercises. Another easy option is to tap on this link, which will show you some ‘Do-It-Along’ videos recorded by our team.

Or you can feel free to join us in our ‘Exercise Program for Elderly’ organised by Companion on Sunday Mornings.

 

Call us on +91-9150095220 or +91-9150095221 for more details

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