Signs Your Elderly Parent May Need Help

Often times when we have people inquiring about in-home care for their elderly parents, we hear them say that they just didn’t realize it had gotten so bad.  When you have a parent who doesn’t have any serious health ailments that leave them in need of 24/7 medical care, you don’t really catch onto the smaller signs. You may assume that if they are up and able to walk around and aren’t telling you that there is a problem, everything is fine. Most adult children react the same way; it’s not your fault.

Signs Your Elderly Parent May Need Help | Your Own Home LLC

So to ensure that your elderly parents get the care they need as soon as they need it, keep an eye out for these signs:

The House is in Disarray and Mail is Piling Up – Sometimes people don’t see this as a telling sign because they just assume that their parent just isn’t interested in maintaining the space. However, if they’ve always been a particular neat and orderly person who really dislikes clutter, there should probably be some level of concern.

Food in the Refrigerator is Spoiled – Regardless of whether your parent doesn’t have the energy to go shopping or cook for himself, or if he is just forgetting that certain foods are even in there, take this as your next clue. It could be a sign that your loved one is simply eating whatever’s easiest, which could in turn lead to nutritional problems.

Disregard for Personal Hygiene – Take a closer look at your loved one; is their usually styled hair now unkempt? Are his finger nails over grown or his face unshaved? Along with poor body odor are all signs that your loved one has stop caring about their hygiene. This may be due to a fear that they will end up falling in the tub, unable to help themselves when they’re alone.

Forgetting to Take Medication – Regardless of whether this is because your loved one is depressed and afraid of the symptoms associated with those medications, or if they are suffering from short-term memory loss, this is a serious problem. Forgetting to take their medication could lead to real health risks.

The sooner you recognize that there may be more to these signs than meets the eye, the sooner you can get your loved one the care that they need. To learn more about taking the next step with in-home senior care, contact Your Own Home LLC today.