The gift of help for Father's Day

One provider of care services for elderly people has suggested that some home help could be a better Father's Day gift for many men than a new tie, pair of socks or set of golf balls.

Senior Helpers chief executive officer Peter Ross explains that men frequently try to cope without outside help due to fears of losing their sense of masculinity.

But the organisation adds that this can leave them coping with symptoms of conditions which may be worse than they appear on the surface.

For instance, forgetfulness and disrupted sleeping patterns are often simply blamed on old age.

But Senior Helpers notes that they can actually be early signs of the onset of dementia.

It is not only such symptoms that may go unnoticed if help is not provided, as the organisation also reports depression and physical difficulties as often going unreported by elderly men.

With men dying on average seven years younger than women, the provision of more home help and care services is suggested as a way of helping to redress the balance.

Senior Helpers argues that assistance can not only improve the quality of life of the individual, but can help to prevent "burnout" among their family members who might otherwise need to offer their own time to help on an ongoing basis.