As the old adage goes, “home is where the heart is.” The memories, comfort and convenience of home are the main factors driving today’s trend of older adults pursuing aging in place. Unfortunately, during the recent recession, many of the public programs designed to support this trend lost their funding. Programs aimed at providing partial care, assistance with the activities of daily living and transportation all experienced significant budget cuts. Without programs like these, there is an increased likelihood of older adults experiencing social isolation as they age.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 11 million Americans over the age of 65, totaling 28 percent of older adults, lived alone in 2010. The likelihood of older adults living alone was also found to increase with age.
Unfortunately, this can cause many challenges for both caregivers and care recipients alike. Data from the 2009 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project shows that social interaction has significant positive influences on both physical and mental health. The report urged health care researchers and providers to consider social disconnectedness and perceived isolation in their treatment of all older adults.
Independa’s cloud based solutions provide an exciting answer to the issue of social isolation. Our fun and intuitive software interface, Angela™, offers older adults a convenient answer to social engagement.
Arriving ready to use with larger screen fonts, higher contrast and brighter colors geared to the needs of care recipients, Angela™ is the ideal means of experiencing the benefits of an active social circle. With video chat, messaging, social media, community event calendars, games and more, Angela™ helps care recipients, their loved ones and professional care givers feel confident in their decision to age in place. To schedule a demo, contact us through our online form.
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