10 Warning Signs Help Is Needed
We are experienced at evaluating older adults and assessing their needs. We provide informed recommendations to assist you in choosing the best option. We’ll even tell you if home care is not your best solution. If you do want home care, we can provide dedicated, professional caregivers.
These 10 warning signs will help you answer the question: Is it time to get help?
Start by reviewing the list below. Do any of these warning signs apply to you or a loved one? If the answer is “yes,” give us a call. Taking action now could prevent a bad fall, a car accident or worse.
Note: The information below is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of a healthcare professional. We encourage you to discuss any medical issues with the appropriate healthcare provider.
To evaluate someone’s need for help, start by looking at their functional status. “Functional status” refers to a person’s ability to perform daily self-care activities and live independently. The common terms that describe these two sets of skills are activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Activities of daily living (ADLs) is a common term for daily self-care activities we need to do to maintain ourselves. The list includes bathing, grooming, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring and ambulating. You probably did these things when you got up this morning and started your day.
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) is the term for activities beyond self-care that we need to do to live independently. The list includes things like cleaning and maintaining your home, meal planning and preparation, using the phone, moving within the community, and financial management.
Doing ADLs or IADLs independently can require assistive devices. For example, many people can live on their own, even if they need a walker. However, if doing ADLs or IADLs requires another person, it’s a clear sign help is needed. The good news is a professional caregiver can often provide the assistance an older person needs to remain at home, comfortable and safe.
1. Do Mom or Dad struggle with ADLs or IADLs?
2. Changes in cognitive status?
Are conversations, activities or doctor appointments being forgotten?
Is mom or dad forgetting to take medications?
Are they struggling to “find the words” in conversation?
Have they fallen for a scam or a questionable sales pitch?
Is learning something new or following directions more difficult now?
These are a few of the common signs of cognitive impairment. We recommend consulting a medical professional to learn more about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The good news is, in many cases, a modest amount of care can provide the support necessary for aging parents to remain safely in their home.
Are showers less frequent?
Are grooming habits altered, such as shaving, combing hair or trimming nails?
Are the same clothes worn day after day?
Do you notice body odor?
Personal care and grooming can decrease due to physical challenges, cognitive changes or both. However, maintaining good personal hygiene is important at any age. As with many other warning signs, a good caregiver can help maintain personal hygiene.
3. Changes in self-care?
4. Poor nutrition?
• Have eating habits changed?
Has dinner become cheese and crackers?
If meal times have shifted, it could be a sign of cognitive decline. If meal variety has decreased, it could be because standing and cooking a meal are more difficult now. Or both could be occurring. Poor nutrition on a long-term basis can have serious negative health effects for seniors. A professional caregiver who cooks a healthy meal or assists with other food preferences can help older adults maintain a healthy diet.
Have sleep habits changed?
Is mom or dad spending more time alone?
Are they reluctant to leave home?
Are they getting less exercise?
Do they seem depressed?
If you notice a change in mom or dad’s behavior, it’s important to act. Remember, they may not yet be aware of the changes you observe. Regardless, you’re doing them a favor when you help them deal with these changes. Many times, a trusted caregiver can be part of the solution.
5. Changes in behavior?
Is surgery or chemo therapy causing a temporary change in capabilities?
Are there on-going conditions or illnesses that reduce capabilities?
Are medications affecting balance, alertness, energy or appetite?
Are assistive devices like a walker making household tasks more difficult?
Declining health in an elderly parent is always worrisome. The assistance of a good caregiver can prevent a fall or other accident that causes additional medical problems. They can also aid in recovery from a condition or procedure. A caregiver can even reduce the chances of returning to the hospital to deal with complications.
6. Changes in medical condition?
7. Changes in capabilities?
• Has there been a fall recently?
Has fear of falling reduced walking, showering or standing to cook a meal?
Have vision changes made reading books or driving difficult?
Has hearing loss made it difficult to engage in conversation or talk on the phone?
Has arthritis or other ailments made household activities more difficult?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one out of four seniors age 65 and older falls every year. The consequences can be serious. The CDC reports one out of five falls causes a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head injury. No wonder fear of falling causes some seniors to become less active, which can increase their risk of falling again.
Of course, fear of falling isn’t the only thing that can reduce capabilities. Arthritis can make simple tasks like twisting a door knob or opening a jar difficult. Decreased hearing or vision are a safety hazard for many activities. Fortunately, a good caregiver can help your aging parent deal with changing or reduced capabilities.
Is home dirtier or messier now than it used to be?
Is mail piling up and bills going unpaid?
Is the check register confusing or no longer “adding up”?
Is there spoiled food in the refrigerator?
Are any medications missing because the prescription wasn’t refilled?
Decreased vision and other changes in capabilities can make keeping up with household tasks more difficult.
If household routines like cleaning, paying bills and refilling medications are no longer getting done, it may also be a sign of cognitive changes.
8. Changes in household routines?
9. Has driving become a concern?
Has reaction time slowed?
Have vision changes made driving at night unsafe?
Has mom or dad gotten lost driving someplace familiar?
Have you noticed new scrapes or dents on the car?
If you find minor damage, do your folks remember how or when it occurred?
“Hanging up the car keys” is difficult for everyone. Having a car accident is worse. Many seniors don’t realize how unsafe their driving has become. They may also be embarrassed to admit they no longer feel comfortable behind the wheel. Whatever the case, you’re doing them – and others on the road – a favor to take action before an accident occurs. Driving is one of many tasks our professional caregivers provide for clients.
This one is often overlooked. While caring for a loved one has its rewards, they often come with a price. Caregiver wear and tear can be both physical and emotional. The following issues are common in family caregiving situations. Fortunately, an outside caregiver can reduce or eliminate problems associated with family caregiving.
Is one spouse risking his or her health to care for the other?
It’s common for wives to care for husbands who are taller and heavier. Unfortunately, the result is often new medical problems for the wife.
Even when the husband is caring for a smaller spouse, he may have health issues of his own that make caregiving risky.
Is a family caregiver burdened with other responsibilities and stresses?
The term “sandwich generation” describes an adult child caring for both children and parents. The stress of that can result in health problems for the caregiver.
Caregiving can be stressful even without children in the picture.
When family caregivers work outside the home, it often reduces job productivity and causes problems at work.
Caring for a loved one while juggling other responsibilities is a common cause of stress and burn-out.
Has caregiving changed the nature of the relationship?
If your main contact becomes doing chores and caregiving, it’s difficult to maintain the relationship you had before the caregiving started.
Has family caregiving caused new friction and conflict?
Caregiving changes the relationship. Just as it can bring people closer, it can also create new stresses and conflicts.
Is their resentment among siblings?
It’s common for children to help their parents as they age. However, it’s also common for the burden of care among siblings to be unequal. When it is, it often results in conflict and resentment.