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Signs Your Senior Loved One Needs Help |
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Children of seniors may have a difficult time
determining if their parent needs additional help. Their
parents may be reluctant to share their daily struggles
with their children because they are embarrassed or feel
they may be a burden. In other cases, seniors may not
even realize they are struggling. If you are concerned
that your senior parents may be having issues, but you
know they are not ready to move into a care facility,
consider hiring an in-home caregiver.
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North Bay Seniors can call
on the services of Sequoia Senior Solutions for help
with day-to-day life in their home. If you are a child
of senior parents and you suspect they could use some
additional help, consider the following signs:
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10. |
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The next time you
are visiting with your parents, observe the
condition of their home. While casual clutter
may be a sign of a perfectly happy home, dust
and dirt may signal a bigger problem. Dusty
areas may mean cleaning is a challenge. Are
there other unclean areas of the home, like
floors, stairways, and old spills? These factors
may indicate that your parents need help around
the house. |
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9. |
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Peek in the
refrigerator and check the condition of the
food. Has anything spoiled? Is the home lacking
in groceries? A neglected refrigerator may
indicate a variety of problems. Your senior
parents may have a tough time cleaning it out,
they may be having difficulty getting to the
grocery store or carrying groceries inside, or
loss of short-term memory may be causing these
issues. |
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8. |
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Check the mail.
Unpaid bills and a build up of junk mail may be
a sign your senior parents are overwhelmed, or
forgetting to take care of household
administrative tasks. If your parents are
suffering from dementia, it may mean they are
forgetting to take care of important business.
Caregivers can help organize and keep track of
mail. If you are concerned about outsiders
helping with personal finances, let the
caregivers handle other tasks, allowing your
parents to feel less overwhelmed. If someone
else is handling grocery shopping and doctor’s
appointments, your senior parents might remember
to pay the electric bill. |
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Have a look under
the sinks and in medicine cabinets. Ensuring
your senior parents can read labels of household
products and medications, and ensuring they are
taking necessary medications is an important
part of protecting their safety and keeping them
healthy. If your senior parents are unable to
handle health issues such as these, they
probably need support on a daily basis.
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Observe your
parent’s appearance. Are they having a difficult
time keeping up with personal hygiene? Do you
often see them in the same outfit? This may mean
doing laundry is a difficult task, or it may
mean they are neglecting their personal
appearance and hygiene. They may also be
concerned about their safety while bathing or
showering. Falling, or the fear of falling,
often leads to loss of confidence, imposed
isolation, and immobility. Speak to them about
their concerns and determine the cause of the
problem. This can help the two of you best solve
the problem. |
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5. |
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Speak with your
parent’s neighbors and friends about their
habits and daily routines. Find out if things
seem to be in order or if they have noticed
changes in schedules or long periods of time
spent alone in their home. Seniors need
companionship. If they are depressed, they may
be spending more time at home, away from people.
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If you suspect
your senior parents may be suffering from
dementia or memory loss, have a look at the
bottoms of their pots and pans. If the bottoms
are burned, it may indicate that tasks like
heating things on the stove are going
unsupervised during bouts of dementia. This can
be dangerous and you should take action as soon
as possible to get your parent the help they
need. |
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Have your senior
parents missed doctor’s appointments recently?
This may indicate they do not have appropriate
transportation, they may not be willing to face
impending health problems, or they may be
suffering from memory loss and have forgotten
the appointments. One of the most common ways a
caregiver helps seniors is ensuring that they
get to their doctor’s appointments. |
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Have you received
phone calls from your senior parents at unusual
hours? This may indicate that they are confused
or lonely. It may be a way for them to tell you
there may be a problem like depression, even if
they are unwilling to say it outright. A visit
from a caregiver can help them with confusion
and provide companionship, as can participating
in activities at a senior center or scheduling
additional visits with family members.
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Are your senior
parents showing signs of depression? As people
age, they may feel lonely and isolated. Spouses,
family members, and friends may suffer heath
problems or drift away. These life changes
remind seniors of their own mortality, which can
lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Keeping your senior parents active can help ward
off depression. Do not feel as if you have to
handle this all on your own. Sequoia Senior
Solutions offers the in-home support your parent
needs. |
The information in
the article is not intended to substitute for the
medical expertise and advice of your healthcare
provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions
about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare
provider.
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