Major Signs Older People Need Home Care Services
When we are children, our parents tend to go above and beyond to ensure that we live in a safe and healthy home. As you get older you may notice that your elderly parents start to slow down. You might start to worry about them struggling and needing help. Needing help as you age will be inevitable for all of us.
Aging is part of the cycle of life, and we naturally expect our parents to eventually show certain signs of getting older. It’s completely normal and natural.
There are some key indicators that an elderly parent is not aging in a healthy way and may need assistance with managing daily tasks.
Here are the major signs that your elderly parent or loved one may need help at home, whether assistance with managing daily tasks or more advanced home care.
The major signs that your elderly parents need Home Care:
Increased Forgetfulness & Memory Loss
When forgetfulness becomes an obvious pattern it’s time to take a closer look at the reasons why this may be.
One of the earliest warning signs that your elderly parents may be starting to decline is an increase in forgetfulness and memory loss. Memory loss is increasingly common in senior people. It may be early signs to a greater medical issue such as Alzheimer’s or other types of Dementia.
It is important to identify any underlying illnesses by taking your elderly parents to see their GP for a diagnosis. You can then discuss what in-home care services are available to them to ensure that your elderly parents can remain independent and continue to live both comfortably and safely at home https://rivergardenhomecare.co.uk/
Behavioural Changes
Behavioural and mood changes can be early signs of Dementia.
There are a wide variety of ways to exercise the mind and even prevent Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. It’s critical that your elderly parent engages in lifelong learning, regular exercise, social activities, and good nutrition. It’s critical that we encourage our elderly parents to engage in these activities regularly. If they don’t, they’ll need help at home much sooner than they otherwise might have.
Loss of Interest
When an older person stops showing interest in hobbies that were once enjoyable, this is a possible sign of depression, and it’s not uncommon in senior adults. Illness, chronic pain, and physical disability can trigger depression. Late-life depression affects 6 million adults aged 65 and older, and only about 10 percent receive treatment.
If you notice that your elderly parent has increased anxiety, or other behavioural changes such as:
- Aggression
- Increased paranoia
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Increased feelings of depression
Help for your elderly parent seems highly likely and this should be investigated.
Sundowner’s Syndrome is a type of behavioural change and another symptom of Alzheimer’s or other types of Dementia. As the sun goes down, your loved one might become increasingly confused, overwhelmed, or disoriented. As it gets darker, this behaviour becomes extremely out of character for your loved one and you wonder how their mood seems to have changed so dramatically since the morning.
Although it may be difficult, it might be time to sit down with your loved one to ask if they are ok and offer home care solutions to help and care for our elderly parents.
Decline in Personal Hygiene
Not bathing for few days is one thing but not doing so for weeks without noticing is a concern. Personal grooming activities, from brushing hair and teeth to trimming nails, can become a daily challenge for aging loved ones. If there is a noticeable decline in grooming, there are home care services to assist.
The appearance of your loved ones can be a major clue to whether they are having difficulty handling their everyday life.
A carer for elderly parents could be extremely helpful in assisting them with their personal care needs. If you’ve noticed a decline in your loved one’s personal hygiene, take a moment to sit down with them, carefully voice your concerns and offer solutions to help improve their overall happiness.
Major Signs Older People Need Home Care Services
Unkempt Home & Clutter
Our elderly parents might not notice that the carpet hasn’t been vacuumed in months, the beds are never made, and the bathrooms need cleaning because they live in the environment. But they don’t see what you do when you visit.
If you notice clutter piling up, it’s time to get help at home so the living space can be tidy and clean. This can have significant impacts on both mental and physical health.
If your loved one’s home is starting to look disorderly, it could be due to deeper underlying emotional struggles.
Next time you check up on your loved one take a moment to look around their home and notice anything unusual in their home.
Take the time to hear them out and let them know that there are care services out there that can help them with seniors care services, helping them with day-to-day tasks and give them a break from their anguish.
Demotivation in Daily Life
We all get demotivated from time to time. As we age and our energy levels change, feeling demotivated can be a more regular occurrence. Some older adults will start giving up their interests over time because they begin to lose their lust for life.
Apathy in older adults is extremely common especially if they are suffering from physical, cognitive, or emotional illnesses.
If your intuition is telling you that your loved one might be struggling, there are some tell-tale signs you can look for:
- Fatigue
- Trouble handling usual responsibilities
- Difficulty feeling and expressing any emotions
- Difficulty planning or solving problems
If you fear that your loved one is showing these signs, it is vital to consult their GP to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
With busy lifestyles keeping your elderly parents continually motivated and inspired could prove difficult. You can seek plenty of Home Care Seniors Care Services to help.
Poor Nutrition / Change in Eating Habits
Significant weight loss or gain is always cause for concern. Any changes in eating habits, including disinterest in food or an empty fridge, can be a sign that help is needed. High quality nutrition is critical to preserving one’s health.
A well-balanced and nutritional diet is vital for our healthy survival regardless of age however, as we get older and our bodies change, we might start shifting our eating habits without even realising it.
If you start seeing your loved one go through sudden weight loss or weight gain in a short period of time, it might indicate:
- A loss of interest in food due to changing appetite
- Difficulty preparing food due to cognitive decline
- Forgetting to prepare and eat meals
- Loss of ability to drive and shop for food
- A cognitive condition that may have injured the part of the brain that controls eating
Meal planning and preparation are home care services carers can offer.
If you are concerned about your elderly parent’s food, let them know that you can help them organise home care services to help ensure your loved one continues to eat wholesome and healthy meals.
Withdrawal & Isolation / Unexplained Confusion
It’s time to seek help when tasks that are familiar to your loved one become challenging, or when a parent seems to struggle to complete a task that he or she has always done. Confusion can indicate many underlying health issues.
Being socially connected with family and friends has been shown to be beneficial for the mind and body. Socialising can help drive off the feeling of loneliness, sharpen memory, boost overall happiness, and increase our well-being.
Decreased Mobility
Walking, balance, and mobility are of such high importance in the aging population. A fall can trigger a cascade of health issues. There are supports to help make home safer.
Look for the signs of mobility problems and talk to your elderly parent about the importance of sharing with you when he or she falls or begins having trouble with balance or walking.
Take the time to sit your loved one down and suggest the potential idea of having companion home care. A professional can provide companionship and be a reliable resource to help keep your loved one’s life more inspiring and balanced each day.
Major Signs Older People Need Home Care Services
Get Help at Home to Preserve Elderly Parents’ Health
It’s crucial that as adult children we learn to look for these signs and recognise the fact that it may be time for our elderly parents to get some help at home. By spending more time with them and examining their behaviour, we can identify potential issues that could cause their health to deteriorate faster.
The older our parents get, the more difficult a time they’ll likely have engaging in regular activities and accomplishing daily tasks. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Our older parents can live healthy, fulfilling lives at home, even when mobility becomes limited and mental capacity diminishes. It’s important to examine all the home care options available.
As our loved one’s age, they might dwell in denial and hide symptoms of physical and cognitive decline out of fear that they might be humiliated or become a burden on their children.
Our elderly parents were always there for us especially when we were feeling vulnerable, and there will come a time when you need to keep an eye out for tell-tale signs that they need help and home care.
Your loved ones can still stay home to live an independent and dignified life with the assistance of a carer who will provide them with the highest quality of service and respect they deserve in the comfort of their own home.