Companion services are also helpful for couples who live at home but require different levels of support. If one person in the couple needs constant support, companion services caregivers can stay with the loved one while the spouse steps out of the house for errands or personal tasks. It is essential that a caregiver take care of themselves and allow for personal time, as being a caregiver can be a very demanding and stressful job.
Services offered include, but are not limited to:
Companion Services & Personal Care
- Providing companionship and conversation
- Planning, preparing and cleaning up after meals
- Accompanying to lunch or dinner
- Assisting with evening tuck-in routine
- Helping with morning wake-up routine
- Assisting with walking
- Writing letters and correspondence
- Assisting with wardrobe selection
- Caring for house plants
- Participating in crafts
- Playing cards and other games
- Escorting to grocery store and other shopping
- Helping with laundry, ironing, and drop-off/pick-up of dry cleaning
- Renting and playing movies
- Planning visits, outings and travel
- Visiting neighbors and friends
- Providing a stable bathing environment
- Arranging appointments and appointment reminders
- Escorting to appointments
- Assisting with telephone calls
- Escorting to religious services
- Helping with medication reminders
- Monitoring diet and assisting with eating
- Standing by during bathing, dressing and grooming routines
Home Maintenance
- Providing light housekeeping
- Taking out garbage
- Changing linens and making beds
- Dusting furniture
- Organizing and cleaning closets
- Assisting with pet care
- Supervising home maintenance
For those living in Bosque County, Lutheran Sunset Ministries offers Sunset Companion Services, with the goal of providing your family with the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one has a broadened support system. As a program of Lutheran Sunset Ministries, one of the most trusted names in senior care in Bosque County, Sunset Companion Services puts the safety and wellbeing of clients first. That’s why all companion caregivers participate in a formal orientation and training program that ensures they have the experience necessary to serve you. They are bonded, insured and screened, and most importantly, each companion caregiver has a heart of compassion in order to provide appropriate care reflective of Lutheran Sunset Ministries’ values and mission.
When a call is received inquiring about Sunset Companion Services, the manager gets as much information as possible about the client and sets up an appointment to go to their home to do an assessment and set up a service agreement. A service agreement is an outline of what the client is requesting. These requests are written down for the caregiver, so that when the visits begin the caregiver knows exactly what they are to do. The caregiver and manager work hand-in-hand, communicating changes in condition so that the family can stay informed at all times. Caregivers are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services are provided in hourly increments – the longer a caregiver is needed the lower the hourly rate becomes.
Sunset Companion Services is available to members of the broader community of Clifton, Bosque County and the surrounding region. The program’s office is located off campus at 113 South Avenue D in Clifton. Give yourself or someone you love the gift of companionship and security. By the way, this service could make a wonderful Christmas gift to someone who has “everything.” To learn more about our program, pricing and how to benefit from the support of your own companion caregiver, call 254.253.1726 or visit www.lutheransunset.org.
Article by Joann Baucom, Lutheran Sunset Ministries’ director of retirement and assisted living services.