Many seniors, regardless of their well-being, mobility and health, will someday require some level of care and assistance as part of an in-home elder care plan. Unfortunately, a fiercely-independent elder may not voice a cry for help.
How do you know when your parent or elder is in need of help with in-home elder care? The following are the Top 5 signs that your elder may need assistance.
- Mobility Issues – Concerns movement both in and outside of the home. If your elder has trouble moving around the house, up and down the stairs, or if there are concerns about falls and injury, then it may be time to consider hiring or providing help with their in-home care. Mobility issues also concern driving. If their hearing, eyesight or motor capabilities are impaired, your elder may be at risk for car accidents, traffic tickets and vehicle damage. Mobility issues are often evidenced by bruises and scrapes from falls, or scratches and dents on the vehicle. As there is a great concern for physical safety to the individuals and to other drivers, mobility concerns are one of the top two issues that lead individuals to seek in-home elder care assistance.
- Memory Problems – With any independent senior in the home, the ability to remember to take meals, keep up with daily medications and make doctor appointments is of paramount importance to their physical health. Memory problems often begin to reveal themselves in small areas (bills piling up, food left to rot in the refrigerator, general confusion or forgetfulness) but can progress quickly and become serious concerns for an elder who is living alone. Some memory problems can create significant concerns in the home. Forgetting a pan on the stove may lead to fire. Forgetting medications can be a real risk factor for their health and well-being.
- Hygiene or Grooming – One of the sure signs that your elder needs help with in-home care is their physical appearance. Neglecting personal hygiene or physical grooming can be immediately evidenced by unkempt hair, dirty or stained clothing, unsuitable clothing, foul breath or persistent body odors. In some cases, seniors may forgo washing clothing on a regular basis because the washing machine is in an area of the house that is difficult to reach (upstairs or down in the basement) and has created a fear of falling while carrying a heavy basket load. In other cases, it is a sign of memory problems. In any case, lagging hygiene and poor grooming are sure signs that in-home elder care may be needed.
- Housekeeping Issues – If your parent or elder has been a tidy person in the past, a home that is cluttered and dirty may be a sign of physical decline, depression or forgetfulness. In any of these cases, housekeeping issues are a signal that a pattern is beginning to form.
- Medication and Nutrition – Much like issues with memory or forgetfulness, failure to keep up with healthy daily meals and prescriptions poses a significant risk factor to health. Lapses in medication can lead to critical consequences. Poor diet can cause weakness, lethargy and depression, as well as a host of other physical problems with the digestive and gastro-intestinal system.
If your parent or elder is showing signs with any of the issues or concerns above, it may be time to take an active role in their day-to-day activities or consider an in-home elder care program that fits their special needs. In the end, safety and comfort are the goals.
The Top 5 Signs That You May Need Help With In-Home Elder Care list is just one of many resources designed to help senior-care providers with at-need elders. To read more about senior care topics and stay up-to-date on latest developments, read the monthly blog articles here at Benefits of Home.
