The arrival of old age is very accurately described by Rudyard Kipling, when Akela misses his prey. Even a seasoned wolf is subject to years. And thanks to him, Mowgli grew up the way he is.
If you see some warning signs of an aging parent needing home care, do not hesitate and ask for help at once because the chances are high that you are not mistaken. The feeling of love for the closest relative is inherent in a person at an instinctive level. So, it’s only natural that you want decent support for your senior.
When visiting elderly loved ones, if you notice any deviations in their behavior and changes in the house, compare them with the list below. Perhaps this is the first signal your parent needs home care.
15 Signs Your Loved One Needs Elderly In-Home Care
Each person is unique, so the aging process is different for everyone. But the signs by which it is clear that the elderly needs home care are similar for everyone. It’s better not to wait for them all to appear and consider asking for home care for aging parents when only the first signs are noticed.
An extended list of how to know when your elderly parents need home care is as follows:
1. Difficulty performing daily household chores
The elderly loved one complains that there is “not enough time” to wash the dishes or clean the house, but you know they have no other business. Well, it’s not about time. It’s about their constant fatigue — one of the signs your parent needs home care.
2. Difficulty in full movement
The aged spend more time sitting or lying down than walking, and when they move, stumble or bump into objects. This threatens injuries, especially when walking in the bathroom or toilet.
3. Malnutrition
You notice that the elderly have lost weight, and the food brought last time is still in the refrigerator. It means the necessity for meal-preparation care for a loved one at home before malnutritition causes severe harm to their health.
4. Increased contact with a doctor
The parents began to ask for medical appointments more often. It may indicate serious health problems, not saying a word that prescribed treatments can have strong side effects or that there are better alternatives. In any case, the healthcare provider will advise you on medications and ensure they are taken according to prescriptions.
5. Aggressive refusal to care
This one may be controversial, but if they emotionally refuse any help, it may indicate some problems they don’t want to discuss. Be sure to listen more carefully to their needs, so you won’t slip the moment when you need home care for your parents.
6. Incoherent speech
If during a conversation, an elderly lose the thread of their narrative, or you notice other speech problems, it is a reliable sign your relative requires help. These issues are quite possible in stroke recovery or dementia patients.
7. Irregular medication
A loved one does not take prescription medications on time. The reason may be different — forgetfulness, laziness, or even fear. In any case, this is the reason for home care for elderly parents.
8. Careless attitude to hygiene
You notice the strong body odor in the dwelling. A skilled nurse will help your loved one during their bath procedures, contributing to their regular hygiene.
9. Mess in the home
If, after each visit, the disorder in the parents’ room becomes larger, then they do not have enough strength to restore order. There is a reason to consider hiring services that care for elderly parents in your home.
10. Untidy appearance
Independence means that you don’t care what other people think about your appearance. However, there are still some limits, and in old age, such an untidy appearance indicates that the person rather can’t than won’t take care of themselves.
11. Lack of food supplies
Older people tend to stock up, and if your elderly don’t and their pantry is empty, this can be the case when home care is needed for aging parents. Caregivers will take on all the shopping tasks and errands, so the elderly will have more free time for themselves.
12. Avoidance of social contact
When aging, the elderly can feel like a burden to others, especially if they have some health problems and are afraid to open up. Now there is not even a weekly poker with friends. This issue is easy to overcome with companionship care services — the staff will help with everyday chores and, obviously, keep company with your loved one.
13. Strangers tell you it’s time for home care for the elderly
If you can’t visit your elderly too often, it might be worth listening to people that spend more time with them. When even neighbors hint they see signs your loved one needs home care, you should consider asking for assistance.
14. You started to feel bad
Caring for an elderly relative is the direct responsibility of the younger one. You have been dragging this on yourself for a long time, but if it goes on like this, you will need to take care of yourself.
15. You can’t take care of a loved one on your own
You do not have enough time, energy, or knowledge to take care of the elderly on your own but still want them to live in the comfort of their own home? Well, the best solution for your loved ones is home care.
You are not the only one with this problem, and Galaxy Home Care is your trusted partner when it comes to home care services. We provide help in New York, Brooklyn, NY, Nassau, and County. There is nothing shameful about delegating the care for your relative to someone you can be sure of.
How to Talk to the Seniors About In-Home Help
If you’ve decided to take third-party home care for the elderly, that’s only half the battle. The conversation certainly should be delicate and conducted like a skier descends between the flags — very carefully.
- Do not infringe on the right of the elderly to independence. They lived a long life for others, so they could spend the rest for themselves. Focus on making it easier without sacrificing freedom of action. Care services should be seen as help and not prison supervision. On the contrary, there will be more freedom since the caregiver takes over many of the daily concerns.
- Elderly loved ones require outside help, but they are not children. Do not press with authority, and do not insist on blind faith. Use arguments and facts if you see signs your elderly parent needs home care. Ultimately, it should be their decision, not yours.
- To push the elderly to a decision, you need to put yourself in his place. Imagine you are 80, and trying to climb onto a ladder to pull the curtain and to call a relative for the sake of this procedure is inappropriate. Describing a specific situation and showing the benefits that home care can bring may help persuade the elderly.
- If you have a positive example of loved ones in home care, then be sure to bring it. Knowing that a real person accepted the situation and did not regret it is a good helper.
- Enlist the support of an authoritative person — the attending physician or the healthcare provider. The voice of each of you individually may not work, but together it will for sure. A physician’s indication of signs your parent needs home care may have additional meaning in a medical context.
All these tips will surely help, but the main point is the benefits they will receive in the case of home care. There will be someone to cook food, clean the house, and go shopping. The only thing the senior should do is enjoy life.
Conclusions
Warning signs of an aging parent needing home care are the beginning of the search for the appropriate service provider. By doing this, you are helping your loved ones and yourself. You will be able to pay full attention to work and rest and spend more time with your family. At the same time, there will always be someone to take care of your parents so: they will not miss a dose of medication, not get an accidental injury, and will live in a clean and orderly manner.
It is important to find a home care company that guarantees high-quality services. We are talking about a loved one, the care of which cannot be entrusted to the first person you meet. Galaxy Home Care has extensive experience in providing a wide range of home care for elderly parents. Our fully-trained caregiving and nursing staff will take care of every need of your elderly, so you won’t have to worry about anything. Contact us now, and give your loved ones the care they truly deserve!