Friday 17 November 2017

How to Tell Your Senior Loved One Needs Additional Care

Whether you live close by or far away, it’s sometimes hard to determine if your aging loved needs additional care. It is likely that seniors, who have been independent for a good fifty to sixty years, find that asking for help is difficult. Fortunately, there are some signs that can help tell you that someone needs extra help at home. You just should be vigilant, understanding and, ultimately, approach the subject delicately.

Physical Signs
  • Changes in weight – Is it fairly obvious that they’ve either gained or lost significant weight. There may be many reasons why this might be taking place, but it’s often a sign that they need additional care or more medical attention than they have been receiving.
  • Poor hygiene – This might be in the form of hair that isn’t neat when was usually in the past, intense body odor, wearing clothes that haven’t been washed, or showing signs of dirt on their skin. Poor hygiene is often due to financial problems, depression or both.
  • Change in clothes –  Did your senior loved one go from wearing jeans to sweatpants all the time? Button down shirts to t-shirts? This could mean that they can no longer use buttons and need help with these types of matters.
  • Frailty – Do they look frail? Diminishing bones and muscle strength is common in older adults. If it looks like they are having a hard time walking or getting out of their chair, they might need some extra help. They may also be at an increased risk of falling.
Look around the House
  • Are they no longer keeping house as they used to? Poor housekeeping can be a sign of early dementia or increased mobility issues. Look for spills that were never cleaned, cobwebs, mold and dust.
  • Too many take out menus and frozen dinners? This could be because they have either lost excitement in eating, do not have the transportation needed to go to the grocery shopping, have difficulty preparing food in the kitchen, or simply is no longer that hungry.
  •  Is their house becoming more cluttered than usual? This could be a sign of a neurological issue that should be addressed by their doctor.
  • Plants and animals getting neglected? This could point toward the beginning stages of dementia or a physical ailment that doesn’t allow them to care properly for their pets and plants.

Do you live in East or South Wake or Johnston counties? Are you interested in learning about home health care services Raleigh and nearby areas in NC? Consider contacting Always Best Care at (919) 724-4297 to setup a free care consultation. They look forward to chatting with you!

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