Jane, my elderly neighbour, just came home from hospital and she is all alone. Her son only comes once a week. I’m worried about her not eating properly and possibly falling. Is there a service that will check on her?
I’m sure many great services are available in your community. For example, talk to Jane and find out if she belongs to a church; a member may be willing to visit her regularly. Or investigate to see if there is a community volunteer program that will check in on her. (You could become a volunteer yourself and stop by with a nice cup of tea.)
Or hire an accredited agency to come in and check on her daily. Accredited agencies have trained support workers who can help Jane with her activities of daily living. Support workers are also able to recognize subtle changes in physical and mental status.
Finally, a number of services to monitor movement, falls and safety from a distance are available. These services are monitored daily for a fee. If Jane is in need of further follow up, a discharge planner from the local hospital can put her in touch with your local government-funded agency to assess her needs.
