Why Does the Senior in Your Life Need Home Care Services? 4 Signs to Watch For
Posted on: 28 September 2020
Does your aging parent or family member need home care services? Take a look at the top signs that signal your loved one needs help to age in place.
1. Dirty Dishes and Other At-Home Messes
Your parent's pristine home is suddenly filled with trash and clutter. The dishes are in the sink, no one has swept for weeks, and the dust balls are more like bears than bunnies. A decline in your loved one's ability to care for their home could come from a declined mobility, an illness/medical condition, or undiagnosed memory/cognitive impairment.
If the senior in your life plans to age in place, they need a safe and hygienic home environment. Failure to clean properly could result in trip and fall hazards, mold growth, or the spread of bacteria or viral particles. A home health aide can do more than help with medically-related activities. The homecare professional may also agree to clean your parent's home or help with daily upkeep.
2. Change in Hygiene Habits
Along with a change in the overall cleanliness of your loved one's home, a shift in hygiene habits may also signal the need for in-home help. Like home cleaning tasks, personal hygiene isn't easy for a senior with mobility or memory impairment issues. If your parent or aging family member stops bathing, forgets to brush their teeth/care for their mouth, wears dirty clothes, or often looks disheveled, a home caregiver can assist in these activities of daily life.
3. Loss of Interest
Has your parent or family recently given up their favorite hobby or stopped talking to their friends? Health concerns, memory/cognitive impairment, anxiety, or depression could contribute to the sudden loss of interest in activities your loved one used to enjoy. While a medical or mental health provider can help the aging adult to cope with the root health or psychological causes of loss if interest, a doctor or therapist can't monitor your loved one daily. A home caregiver can provide a watchful eye and alert the medical/mental health provider of changes in the senior's behavior.
4. New Mood Changes
Has your typically upbeat mother suddenly gone from optimistic to pessimistic? Personality or dramatic mood changes could indicate a cognitive issue, memory impairment, depression, or anxiety. Like a loss of interest in their hobbies, mood changes require professional help. Along with doctor's appointments, medication, and therapy, your loved one can also benefit from a home caregiver. The caregiver can make sure the senior takes their prescribed medications, follows doctor's/therapist's orders, and is monitored day and night.
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