How to Tell If a Senior Requires Home Care

Being able to admit that you need help and accepting it isn’t easy for those who are getting older. So, how do you tell when your parent requires support at home? One thing is for sure: Mom and Dad aren’t likely to be the ones to inform you!

Seniors are determined to remain self-sufficient and keep control over their lives for the longest time possible. Most senior adults tend to minimise or conceal any problems they’ve been suffering till an injury or a sudden decline in their health make it obvious that they require assistance. As adults are usually not able to make medical decisions before an emergency occurs, the added pressure of an unexpected hospitalization or a fall adds more stress.

 A way to avoid being taken by surprise is to begin daily monitoring your parents’ mental and physical capabilities (ideally on the spot) and promoting an appropriate plan for financial and legal affairs and examining options for long-term care. This will help ensure that you are well-prepared for the eventuality that Mom or Dad begin to show signs of needing assistance.

 

How to tell if a senior needs Home Care

Find these signs that indicate an older person may require Home Care or an elevated degree of care.

It is difficult to perform activities of Daily Living like

•   Grooming and grooming
•   Dressing
•   Toileting
•   Continence
•   Moving and walking (e.g. the transfer of a bed from bed to chair)
•   Food

Physical Functions and Appearance

•   Weight loss is noticeable due to poor nutrition difficulties in cooking and eating. And shopping for food, etc.
•   Dressing in a way that is inappropriate for the weather/season because of difficulty dressing
•   Unhygienic personal hygiene and a bad body odour due to the infrequent bathing or showering
•   Unkept hair, untrimmed nails and poor dental hygiene can indicate an obvious reduction in grooming practices and personal hygiene.
•   Injuries, wounds, or other signs on the body might indicate falls or changes to mobility
•   Visible skin burns may indicate that a senior is having trouble cooking.

Changes in behaviour and mental status

•   Motivation and drive are lacking.
•   The loss of enthusiasm for hobbies and other activities.
•   The difficulty of keeping on track of the time
•   Refusal to return phone calls made to the family
•   Extreme mood swings
•   More agitation
•   Physical or verbally violent behaviour
•   Changes in sleeping patterns (e.g. insomnia, insomnia or being asleep all day)                                                                                                                                     Also Read: which medication is the most effective for joint pain

Not paying attention to the household’s responsibilities

•   Inability to perform independently essential ADLs
•   Changes in the cleanliness of the home and organisation
•   Excessive clutter and evidence hoarding
•   Many mails that have not been opened, late payment notices, or bounced checks.
•   Unpaid bills, phone calls from collectors, or utility companies being cut off
•   Rotten food doesn’t get put into the garbage
•   Very little or no nutritious, fresh food, or a general low supply of food
•   Wet or stained furniture or carpet
•   Urine smell in the home This could be a sign of incontinence
•   Appliances or cookware with visible burn marks could be a sign that food was neglected when cooking or heating
•   The inability to properly maintain outdoor areas like landscaping snow removal or garbage collection
•   Warning signs that indicate dangerous driving (e.g. scratches, car scratches and dents)
•   Incomplete prescriptions

 

Changes in Memory, Cognition and Judgment

•   Forgetfulness (e.g. not taking medications, prescribing incorrect doses, not making appointments, or misplacing items)
•   More confusion
•   Inability to reason
•   Consistent use of bad judgment (e.g. getting caught up in scams or sales messages or giving away money)
•   Achieving difficult tasks
•   Sometimes, people get lost while walking or driving
•   Repetitive speech patterns
•   Inability to finish sentences
•   Affected word-finding capacity
•   Changes in behaviour or personality
•   Unhygienic personal hygiene as well as wearing similar clothing repeatedly
•   Unable to remember names of people you know or objects

Helping to Hire Home Care for the elderly parents

If you suspect that your Dad and Mom exhibit any of these warning indicators then the following step would be to discuss directly with them concerning their ageing capabilities and needs for care. It’s better to discuss the future with your parents who are ageing earlier rather than later, to make sure everyone can be on the same wavelength and avoid any surprise. Discuss the topic with respect and in a manner that they can be involved in identifying the root of the problem(s) and come to solutions.

 Be aware that red flags do not necessarily indicate that admission to assisted living or a nursing facility is necessary. But their presence could suggest that some type of support for daily living is required. In many families, hiring home care allows older people to stay at the ease of their homes to stay as long as feasible. 

 Home care for seniors is an absolute boon for professionals working full-time who cannot remain at home for their Elderly parents needing 24hour care but wish to support their parents who are getting older. If you notice these indicators and more, it’s the right time to contact an experienced senior home care service such as Papaya Care.