November 17, 2022
As your senior ages, you may not be able to do everything you want to help her. Elder care professionals are a solution, because they offer assistance with many aspects of life. But when do you know for sure that your elderly family member needs this type of help and support?
She Mentions She Could Use Help
Although it’s both obvious and easy to miss, if your elderly family member mentions needing some extra help, take that at face value. Hearing that someone they love needs help can prompt many family caregivers to help themselves. Although that isn’t wrong, it’s a sign that you should look into bringing in home care professionals to help. This helps you be less overwhelmed and better understand what help your senior truly needs.
You’re Noticing She’s Having Trouble at Home
You may notice other signs if your elderly family member hasn’t mentioned needing help. Is it getting more difficult for your senior to perform routine household tasks? Maybe the dishes are starting to pile up when they never did before, or there are other signs. Any little changes to her household routines could indicate your senior’s life is changing.
You Suspect She’s Not Eating
Another situation to watch for is whether your senior appears to have trouble eating or not. Some signs associated with this could be changes in her weight, or you start to notice that her fridge is often empty when it was full. It’s worth investigating all this a little bit deeper, so that you can understand what is happening.
She’s Skipped Some Appointments
There might be a few reasons your elderly family member misses appointments. She might start to forget them, for instance, or she might just decide not to go. This can be common with serious health issues that she’s getting tired of battling. Understanding why she’s not going to some of these appointments can help you determine what is going on in her life.
She’s Had a Fall
One of the most serious ways to realize that your senior needs help is that she’s had a fall or she’s almost fallen. Falls are potentially deadly for aging adults. Talk with your senior’s doctor about her risk factors for falling, so that you can help to reduce the likelihood that she’ll experience a fall. If her risk factors are high, bringing elder care providers in can help you spot potential safety issues and ensure that there’s someone there with her.
Talk to your elderly family member about what’s going on in her life. These aren’t easy conversations, and your senior is likely to express that she doesn’t want to burden you and other family members. It’s important that she understands you want to help her as much as possible.
