Admitting the need for help isn't easy for people of any age. This is especially true of an elderly parent who is living at home. More than likely they will not come right out and say, "Hey, I'm having difficulties around the house." That's not who they are! That's not in their DNA.
How can you know that your aging loved ones are needing a little extra help? The answer is being able to recognize the signs of needed support while completing activites of daily living (ADLs).
Warning Signs that your aging parent may need help at home
The following is a list of red flags, or common indicators, that a senior may need some form of assistance at home. This list was originally published by Mike Campbell of Aging Care.
Difficulty Performing Routine Activies of Daily Living
- Bathing
- Dressing and Grooming
- Toileting
- Continence
- Transferring or moving from place t place (e.g., moving from the bed to a chair)
- Eating
Changes in Physical Function or Appearance That Indicate a Need for Assistance
- Noticable weight loss due to poor diet, difficulty cooking, eating, shopping for food, etc.
- Sloppy appearance due to difficulty dressing and grooming
- Poor personal hygiene and unpleasant body odor as a result of infrequent showering or bathing
- Noticeable decline in grooming habits and personal care, such as unkempt hair, untrimmed nails or lack of oral care.
- Bruises, wounds or other marks on the body that could indicate a senior has fallen or is having trouble walking or momving from place to place.
- Noticeable burns on the skin could indicate a snior is experiencing problems cooking.
- Changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping for most of the day
Changes in Behavior or Mental Status
- Lack of drive or motivation.
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities.
- Difficulty keeping track of time.
- Failure to return phone calls to friends and family members.
- Changes in mood or extreme mood swings.
- Increased agitation.
- Verbally or physically abusive behaviors.
Physical Clues That Your Parents Are Neglecting Household Responsibilities
- Inability to independently complete Instrumental ADLs.
- Dirty house and/or extreme clutter.
- Stacks of unopened mail, late payment notices or bounced checks.
- Unpaid bills, calls from collectors or utilities being turned off.
- Spoiled food that doesn’t get thrown away.
- Little or no fresh, healthy food or overall low food supply.
- Stained or wet furniture or carpet.
- Urine odor in house (signs of incontinence).
- Pots and pans with noticeable burn marks could indicate food has been left unattended while cooking or reheating.
- General upkeep, such as the lawn, snow removal or garbage collection, not being maintained as normal.
- Signs of unsafe driving, such as automobile dents and scratches.
- Unfilled prescriptions.
Warning Signs That Your Parent Might Be Developing Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease or Some Other Cognitive Impairment
- Forgetfulness, including forgetting to take medications or taking incorrect dosages.
- Missing important appointments.
- Consistent memory lapses.
- Increased confusion.
- Loss of reasoning skills.
- Consistent use of poor judgment (e.g. falling for scams or sales pitches or giving away money).
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
- Frequently misplacing items.
- Frequently getting lost when walking or driving.
- Repetitive speech patterns.
- Inability to complete sentences.
- Changes in personality or behavior.
- Poor personal hygiene and wearing the same clothes over and over.
- Inability to recall names of familiar people or objects
If you believe your parents are experiencing some of the above warning indicators, the next step is to talk with them and other family members about a care plan. Aging Care Solutions is there to help you with that plan. Hire Aging Care Solutions Geriatric Care Management to complete an assessment, identify problems and provide solutions, also known as a care plan, that you can implement immediately. You may also hire one of our Professional Geriatric Care Managers to manage the care plan while you preserve quality time with your aging love one.