International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 68-78 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 71 3.2 Types of community-based home care services Community-based home care services encompass various types, primarily covering medical care, psychological support, and daily living assistance. Medical care is the core component of community-based home care, including health monitoring, medication management, disease management, and rehabilitation care services. Professional caregivers provide in-home services to help elderly individuals manage chronic diseases, monitor health indicators, and ensure they receive timely, appropriate medical support at home. This form of in-home service effectively reduces the need for hospital visits, lowering the probability of acute illness and hospitalization. Psychological support is another critical component of community-based home care, aimed at helping elderly individuals living alone cope with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Through psychological counseling, social interaction, and community activities, caregivers and community volunteers provide emotional support, helping the elderly build and maintain positive social relationships. This support not only alleviates loneliness due to living alone but also enhances social belonging and well-being (Figure 2) (Lee and Lee, 2020). Furthermore, some communities offer cognitive training interventions to help elderly individuals maintain or improve cognitive function, preventing or delaying dementia symptoms. Figure 2 Flow diagram of the home-visiting cognitive intervention (HCI) study (Adopted from Lee and Lee, 2020) Daily living assistance is a valuable supplement to community-based home care, providing practical help in everyday life. For instance, caregivers or volunteers may assist with household chores, shopping, and cooking, reducing the daily burden on elderly individuals. With technological advancements, some community-based home care services also incorporate remote monitoring systems and health management devices, enabling caregivers to monitor elderly health in real-time and provide timely assistance (Wei, 2017). These diverse service types collectively form the framework of community-based home care, offering comprehensive support for elderly individuals living alone. 3.3 The role of community-based home care in supporting elderly individuals living alone Community-based home care plays an irreplaceable role in supporting elderly individuals living alone. Due to the lack of daily companionship from family members, elderly individuals living alone face various challenges in life and mental health, including loneliness, depression, anxiety, and declining self-care ability. Community-based home care provides medical support, emotional care, and assistance with daily living to help elderly individuals maintain physical and mental health and quality of life. Studies show that elderly individuals living alone who receive community-based home care experience improved health and mental health, with reduced hospitalization rates and acute illness episodes. Psychological support is particularly crucial in community-based home care for elderly individuals living alone. Due to the lack of daily social interaction, elderly individuals living alone often feel lonely and isolated. Through organizing community activities, providing counseling, and emotional support, community-based home care services effectively alleviate loneliness and depression in elderly individuals, enhancing their well-being. Inagaki et al. (2020) highlighted that collaboration between community caregivers and neighbors enables elderly individuals living alone to participate more frequently in community activities, building stronger social connections and enhancing their sense of involvement and satisfaction in life.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==