Let’s face it, growing old is a little confronting to the most of us. Imagine going from total independence to having rely on someone. The transition for some can be terrifying, but it doesn’t have to be. However, in some cases, seniors try to hide the fact that they require assistance in avoidance of having full-time care.
So we’ve put tother a list of a few things to look out for…
Difficulty Performing Routine Activities of Everyday Living
- taking a bath or shower
- looking after personal appearance in daily grooming and dressing
- Toileting
- Continence
- struggle in general mobility (e.g., moving from the bed to a chair)
- Eating and maintaining nutrition
Changes in Physical Function or Appearance that are Concerning
- Noticeable weight loss due to poor diet, difficulty cooking, eating, shopping for food, etc.
- Unkempt appearance due to difficulty dressing and grooming.
- Poor personal hygiene and unpleasant body odor
- Noticeable decline in personal care, untrimmed nails or lack of oral care.
- Bruises, wounds or marks on the body that could indicate a senior has fallen.
- Noticeable burns on the skin could indicate a senior is struggling with cooking.
- Changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping for most of the day.
Changes in Behavior or Mental Awareness
- Lack of motivation.
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities.
- Difficulty keeping track of time.
- Failure to return phone calls to friends and family members.
- Extreme mood swings.
- Increased agitation
- Verbal or physical abusive behaviors.
Physical Clues That Your Parents Are Neglecting Household Responsibilities
- Dirty house and/or extreme clutter.
- Stacks of unopened mail, late payment notices
- Unpaid bills, calls from collectors or utilities being turned off.
- Spoiled food that doesn’t get discarded
- Little or no fresh
- Stained or wet furniture or carpet.
- Urine odor in house (signs of incontinence).
- Pots and pans with noticeable burn marks indicating food has been left unattended whilst cooking
- General upkeep, such as the lawn, garbage collection not being maintained
- Signs of unsafe driving, such as automobile dents and scratches.
- Unfilled prescriptions.
Warning Signs That Your Parent Might Be Developing Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease or Some Other Cognitive Impairment
- Forgetfulness, including forgetting to take medications or taking incorrect dosages.
- Missing important appointments.
- Consistent memory lapses.
- Increased confusion.
- Loss of reasoning skills.
- Consistent use of poor judgment (e.g. falling for scams or sales pitches or giving away money).
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
- Frequently misplacing items.
- Frequently getting lost when walking or driving.
- Repetitive speech patterns.
- Inability to complete sentences.
- Changes in personality or behavior.
- Poor personal hygiene and wearing the same clothes over and over.
- Inability to recall names of familiar people or objects.
If you or a loved one is experiencing these signs and needs to go into full-time care, please contact our office for additional information.
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