Warning Signs Your Parent Might Need Home Care: Summertime vacations always bring an increase in calls from concerned adult children with some flavor of this question: “During vacation, we noticed Dad is slowing down. We think he might need help at home, but we aren’t sure. How can we tell?” The decision is not always clear.
Admitting the need for assistance—and accepting it—is not easy for people as they age. So, how will you know when your aging parent needs help at home? One thing is certain: Mom and Dad aren’t likely to be the ones who tell you! Seniors aren’t always forthcoming about their challenges when living alone. Your senior loved one may not want to worry you about his or her health issues, or he or she may fear being forced to move from home.
One way to avoid being caught off-guard is to start regularly monitoring your parents’ physical and mental abilities (ideally in person), encouraging proper legal and financial planning, and researching long-term care options. This will ensure you are prepared.
Watch out for these signs your parent needs assistance so you can bring up the prospect of having an in-home caregiver start helping out.
Signs An Elderly Needs Help at Home
Sudden Changes in Personality
Some personality changes may be normal in older people, but certain sudden personality changes could signal a bigger problem. These warning signs include drastic changes in behavior from the senior’s usual routine and a complete change from their previous character, such as someone outgoing becoming more quiet or even aggressive. If this change has been sudden and has not changed after a short time period, it is time to seek help for the senior loved one.
Having Disheveled Appearance
You love your parent no matter what he or she looks like. However, there comes a point where you have to worry about a senior who stops taking care of his or her appearance. This is especially true with personal hygiene, since doing things such as skipping baths puts seniors at risk of health issues, such as skin rashes. Since this is a sensitive subject, make sure to bring it up when others aren’t around. Once you’re ready, simply ask your parent if he or she has challenges with bathing or fears falling in the bathroom. Having someone else help with washing his or her hair may be all it takes to get your loved one freshened up again.
Poor Housekeeping
If you notice that your loved one’s home is beginning to look more like a pigsty than a place where someone lives, then it may be time to step in and help. If the senior loved one cannot keep up with cleaning the house properly for themselves, then it can cause them to feel even more depressed about their appearance and self-image.
Not Eating Well
The daily process of purchasing, preparing, and eating food often becomes too difficult for people as they age. Sometimes their sense of smell and taste decreases, and this may cause them to eat or drink food that is unsafe. If your loved one is experiencing unexplained weight loss, this may be a sign that he or she is not eating enough daily. This may be a sign that it is time to transition to an in-home caregiver where food can be monitored.
Bruising or Wounds on Your Parent’s Body
When seniors start to have trouble walking, dressing, or cleaning on their own, it tends to show up as unexplained bruises or wounds on the person’s body. Evidence of falls, slips, or accidents in the home, these unexplained injuries can be alarming to family members.
Although your parent may play them off as nothing, it’s your job to know that any parent who is being injured in his or her own home needs some level of in-home care and assistance.
Not Taking Medications
They say that one out of every two seniors over 80 has some type of dementia or memory loss. Even without dementia, it can be hard to remember to take your medications day in and day out, especially if someone is not filling pill boxes every week. Days blend with other days and important medications get missed. When a parent starts forgetting critical things, like whether or not they’ve taken vital medication or how to turn off the stove, the condition can quickly become dangerous.
Unpaid Bills
It’s embarrassing to have the utilities turned off for lack of payment, and seniors can be left in a dangerous situation if they don’t pay their bills. This is especially true in the summertime, when having the power shut off could expose them to excessive heat. If your loved one can afford to pay the bills but fails to do so, he or she may be experiencing memory loss. Having someone step in to remind your loved one to do things such as pay the electric bill can prevent embarrassing incidents and possible danger.
Confusion
Parents who get lost, frustrated, or angry are displaying confusion. An early sign of Alzheimer’s and dementia, this symptom warrants home care and additional assistance.
Mobility Becomes a Problem
Can he or she move from the bed to a chair unassisted? Can he make the walk from the chair to the toilet? If he can’t move throughout the house independently, and there is no one there who can assist him 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it may be time to check into local facilities.
Cognitive Decline
This warning sign may be alarming, as it refers to a change in memory, concentration, and more serious conditions like dementia. If a senior loved one seems to be having trouble remembering things like the names of friends or caregivers, it is time to seek help. The more time that goes by without improving their ability to remember things will worsen their condition.
Car Accidents
For seniors, losing their right to drive can be a devastating occurrence. Unfortunately, many seniors continue to drive past the point where it’s medically advisable, and they put themselves and others at risk as a result. If you notice dents or scratches in your parent’s care, he or she may need additional assistance to ensure their safety and well-being.
Dwindling Social Life
The senior years are often a time of loss when friends may no longer be around to spend time with. Seniors may also face social challenges if they no longer drive. In-home caregivers provide companionship and can take seniors to places where they can socialize with other seniors.
How Hiring A Personal Home Care Can help
Changes to seniors can be hard to notice, especially if you see them every day or so. Family coming in from out of town usually notice certain changes right away, whether it’s a change in cognition or memory loss or just the cleanliness of the home. Asking for extra help blesses your loved one and you. If you are the primary caregiver, it’s important to recognize if you’ve been feeling worn down and overworked as this is a good indication you may need more help as well.
A personal care agency can make all the difference during these sometimes difficult transitions. It’s always better to seek help before the crisis hits. Although that’s easier to say than do, we encourage families to get a little extra help going as soon as possible. Then, when a lot more help is needed, your aging parent will already feel comfortable having more assistance in their home
If you are still uncertain whether it is time for more help, or if your initial discussions meet resistance, it may be best to get a neutral third party to help advise your loved one. If the relationship with the primary care physician is good, ask for an appointment that you can both attend to discuss your concerns.
Finally, do all you can to involve other family members in the discussion. The more collaborative the decision-making is, the greater the chance for success and for cooperation from everyone.
