What is the Most Requested Support Service for the Elderly?
According to one report, seniors will make up to 25% of the total population of Canada by 2030. This means the rapidly growing senior population in Canada needs essential support services to meet their needs. While the younger population has access to a number of facilities and resources to manage day-to-day tasks, seniors need a little extra support to live comfortably. The main focus of these most requested support services for the elderly is to assist seniors and give them resources to maintain their status and quality of life. These services allow senior citizens to stay as healthy and independent as possible.
When it comes to available support services in Canada for seniors, there are quite a few services that cover various aspects of life. The primary support services include personal support, household maintenance, transportation assistance, and accessibility modification. However, the most requested service that reflects particular challenges seniors face on a daily out is housekeeping and property maintenance.
Therefore, in the article below, we will briefly discuss the primary support services and how they help seniors maintain their independence. We will also walk you through what makes household and property maintenance services the most requested one in Canada. To learn about them in detail, keep on reading.
The Most Requested Service for the Elderly: Housekeeping & Property Maintenance
As people age, they prefer to “age in place,” meaning they want to live the rest of their lives in their own homes instead of moving to an old age home. However, one of the biggest challenges they face is carrying out the simplest of daily tasks, such as cleaning the gutter, cutting grass, painting the walls, or repairing the fence.
In this regard, housekeeping and property maintenance is the most requested support service in Canada. According to one report, about 26.8% of seniors in Canada need assistance with their daily tasks, yet they still need to receive essential support. Fortunately, seniors can access household maintenance services that can help them carry out and complete these daily tasks with compassion and ease.
In Canada, popular household and property maintenance services like Custodia go above and beyond just basic dusting and cleaning. With their compassionate and highly dedicated team, they completely understand the care seniors require and offer their support to complete their everyday tasks for them with professionalism.
While there are hundreds of other housekeeping services available across Canada, choosing the one that focuses on caring for seniors is extremely important as they are well versed in understanding their needs to provide the support they deserve. Services like Custodia will not only mow your lawn but also create a thorough senior support home management plan for seniors to live longer and happier lives at home.
Overall, these housekeeping and property maintenance services will take care of all the household predictable tasks that you find challenging to carry out and complete. They will make sure to provide support to people or seniors with physical disabilities, medical conditions, and limited mobility to ensure you feel comfortable and safe in your home.
Benefits of Housekeeping and Property Maintenance for Seniors
The demand for housekeeping and property maintenance services reflects how important it is for seniors to maintain safety, independence, and quality of life so they can “age in place.” This demand has made both private and government institutes come up with programs that address this specific challenge in seniors’ lives. With their effort, this particular support service has started to be widely available across Canada, offering these benefits:
- Fall Prevention and Safety: People or seniors with mobility issues often struggle with keeping their space clutter-free, increasing the risk of falls and tripping. Professional housekeeping service will ensure your house stays clutter-free so you are quickly moving around without the risk of falls or potential injury.
- Health and Well-being: As people age, they suffer from respiratory issues, allergies, and other chronic conditions that an unclean and filthy living environment can trigger. However, with professional support for seniors, they make sure to maintain a clean living environment with better air quality to keep the overall health and well-being of seniors in check.
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Having a broken fence, overgrown grass, and grimy floors can often lead to stress and anxiety. Whereas a tidy home can positively impact health and mood, leading to stress-free living. Professional housekeeping support offers different services like power washing services, lawn mowing services, etc. that seniors need to maintain the shape of their property.
- Increased Comfort and Convenience: There is no denying that seniors cannot carry out physically demanding tasks that can put a strain on their bodies and sometimes even lead to severe injuries. For instance, painting a wall on a ladder will not only be physically challenging but also can result in them falling over and hurting themselves. To address this, housekeeping and property maintenance services offer their support to complete these tasks so seniors can enjoy the convenience and comfort they truly deserve.
- Social Interaction and Support: Living alone in old age can make you feel lonely most of the time. While housekeeping professionals cannot replace your family, a regular visit from them sure can offer the companionship you still need. With their compassion and love for what they do, they can be your support system.
Overview of Other Essential Senior Support Services in Canada
With the rapidly growing senior population in Canada, both government and non-government institutes have introduced a number of other support services for seniors. These services address certain challenges they face on a day-to-day basis to encourage them to live a healthy and happy life.
With these services available, seniors have the support they deserve to live a happy and safe life. Let’s discuss these services briefly:
Transportation Assistance
Growing older doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors and stop driving altogether. Staying mobile and getting around for seniors is extremely important to maintain independence and an outgoing lifestyle. However, as you age, limited mobility, physical disabilities, and health conditions tend to change your driving habits, and inevitable challenges come with accessing traditional public transportation.
Therefore, there are quite a few transportation assistance options available to assist seniors in getting around Canada. For instance, for seniors who are unable to access public or private transportation, organizations like the Canadian Red Cross or CHATS provide transportation. Using these free or volunteer driver services, seniors can attend their medical appointments, go out shopping, or attend social gatherings. These transportation assistance services make it possible for seniors to get around easily and go about their daily tasks.
Social and Recreational Support
Living alone all by yourself can feel isolated and sad, but the good news is that you do not have to feel that way at all. There is no age limit for having a vibrant social life and recreational support. In fact, being socially connected with your community is extremely important for staying active and keeping your overall well-being in check. As they say, the key to a long life is a happy life. So, seeking social and recreational support offers you a life you may be missing by just sitting alone at your home by yourself.
To address this concern, there are quite a few municipalities across Canada that offer several programs specifically designed for seniors. Programs like Ontario Parks and Seniors Active Living Centres (SALCs) usually consist of community outings, social gatherings, fitness classes, art sessions, and more. These programs not only promote better health but also help foster new friendships that combat isolation.
Health and Personal Care Services
Health and personal care services are just as important as housekeeping services to provide necessary support to the senior population. In Canada, the healthcare system ensures seniors receive medical support, rehabilitation, and caregiver assistance to improve their quality of life.
With age, people tend to experience declining health and limited mobility, which can make it challenging to complete even the most minor tasks, such as taking a bath or going from a room to a lawn. However, professional home care services provide support in nursing, grocery shopping, meal preparation, dressing, grooming, bathing, physiotherapy, and more.
Conclusion: How Seniors and Families Can Access Support Services
When it comes to accessing housekeeping and homecare services in Canada, you can either go for government initiatives, community organizations, or private organizations. Government programs like Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) provide senior citizens with the necessary resources for income support, secure aging, and caregiver assistance. These initiatives and programs ensure seniors receive all the care and assistance they deserve to live comfortably and safely in their homes.
Moreover, community organizations, like the Red Cross, work with volunteers to provide support in daily activities, transportation, and medical appointments. With the community coming together to volunteer to help and support seniors, these organizations go above and beyond in helping people and seniors when they need the most.
Lastly, private companies like Custodia help seniors “age in place” with their professional and compassionate team. They offer housekeeping and property maintenance services to ensure seniors live comfortably and safely as they age gracefully.