Megan loved movies. She had a collection of VHS movies and then DVD movies that would rival just about any traditional video rental store in the country. As she got older, she spent more time watching them as she was struggling to do anything else. Her friends were no longer coming around, getting ill, or passing away and it was just too much for her to handle, so she decided to surround herself with some good movies.
When elderly home care provider came by to begin checking on her, at the request of her daughter, they noticed that she spent a lot of time watching these movies, but that she watched them alone. This may have seemed fine to Megan’s family, because she didn’t complain, but the elderly home care provider that was assigned to her recognized that it could lead to depression.
So this professional called upon Megan’s family to begin spending more time with her on a regular basis. “You watch movies at home, don’t you?” she asked the family members, almost all of whom nodded in agreement. “Then why not come over here to watch those movies?”
It was an idea that they hadn’t even considered. They just assumed that Megan was one of those elderly ladies who watched the old-timer movies with Fred Astaire and Humphrey Bogart, and that wasn’t anything they were interested in. When the elderly home care provider mentioned some of the modern movies that Megan had in her collection, some of which she seemed to watch over and over and over, they were surprised.
They agreed to make a movie night with Megan once a week and they stuck to that schedule. The elderly home care provider began noticing a change in Megan’s demeanor. She was feeling, and acting as though she was happier and even healthier. She was smiling more and talking more about the times that she spent with her family and that ended up conjuring all sorts of wonderful memories from her youth.
Megan was still watching movies; nothing about that had changed. What had changed was the interaction that she was getting while watching them with her family. Her loved ones. When it comes to quality elder care, it’s often the personal interaction that matters more than anything else. Watching a movie with your elderly loved one can have a positive and dramatic impact on their life. That should always be the goal.
If you have a loved one who could benefit from home care services in Alamo ,CA contact the caregivers at Hillendale Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (925) 933-8181 for more information.
