 |
| Watch for the warning signs |
Admitting they need help would mean they can't take care of themselves anymore, and no one wants to lose their independence. "Denial is the unrealistic hope that a problem is not really happening and will go away by itself. Admitting they need help and accepting assistance is not easy for people as they age. It represents a loss of independence. Denial plays a major role – and signs get ignored," says Paul Hogan, Founder and Chairman of Home Instead Senior Care.
The burden often falls on the family to recognize the signs that an aging parent might need help with daily living tasks.
This doesn't necessarily mean that your loved one has to go to assisted living or a nursing home, but they may need some extra help in their home. If they're not willing to admit it, how do you know if your elderly parent needs home care? Here are some warning signs to look for:
- Spoiled food that doesn't get thrown away
- Missing important appointments
- Unexplained bruising
- Trouble getting up from a seated position
- Difficulty with walking, balance and mobility
- Uncertainty and confusion when performing once-familiar tasks
- Forgetfulness
- Unpleasant body odor
- Infrequent showering and bathing
- Strong smell of urine in the house
- Noticeable decline in grooming habits and personal care
- Dirty house, extreme clutter and dirty laundry piling up
- Stacks of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox
- Late payment notices, bounced checks and calls from bill collectors
- Poor diet or weight loss
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
- Changes in mood or extreme mood swings
- Forgetting to take medications – or taking more than the prescribed dosage
- Diagnosis of dementia or early onset Alzheimer's
- Unexplained dents and scratches on a car
6 comments:
It's difficult to help people when they claim they don't need it. My parents become defensive when I help them out in any way. A nursing home shouldn't always be out of the options to consider in situations like this.
Thanks for the list of the warning signs.In cases such as these, a home health care worker's services would be a good idea as well as a nursing home as the previous poster has mentioned.
If you are having a hard time convincing your elders to stay in a home, it helps if you find comfortable, relaxing nursing home. There are nursing homes in NJ that provides top notch, filial service for the elders.
It can be difficult to accept that a person you rely on would need hospice services or nursing home care. Still, we should be realistic with the medical needs of the people we love.
Among the things that are listed here, Alzheimer's disease is what my parents are afraid of. They plan to stay on retirement communities Long Island but they're scared no one would even assist them in case one of them forgets.
We can't blame people who have difficulty at this stage in their lives. They've spent most of their lives being independent and it's hard to give that up.
Post a Comment