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Using Your Senses to Determine If Your Seniors Need Home Care

Home Care in Zebulon, NC

Women huggingThe decision to start home care for your elderly parents can be one of the most important choices you can make to ensure your seniors stay as healthy, safe, and emotionally fulfilled as possible during their later years. You love your parents and want to feel like you have made the decision that is right for them so that their needs are met, but that they can also maintain as much independence as possible. As their family caregiver, it is your responsibility to be vigilant and take notice of signs that indicate they could benefit from having a referred caregiver.

If you are concerned your elderly loved ones may have physical or cognitive needs that require additional support, your basic senses are useful tools in helping you detect potential problems. Try these tips to use your senses to evaluate your senior parents and their home and help you make the right decision regarding starting a home care arrangement:

Sight

  • Is the home cluttered?
  • Is the mailbox full?
  • Are your parents disheveled?
  • Are your parents’ clothes stained, soiled, or seasonally inappropriate?
  • Are your parents’ pets healthy?
  • Are items in the home out of place?
  • Are the dishes and laundry well-managed?
  • Are the bills paid properly?

Hearing

  • Are your parents able to maintain a normal conversation?
  • Do your parents seem to be facing memory loss?
  • Are your parents complaining about pain, mobility problems, or other issues?
  • Are your parents experiencing mood swings or showing personality characteristics that do not seem like them?
  • Are your parents asking you to handle more tasks for them than they have in the past?
  • Are your parents watching TV or listening to the radio much louder than they should, possibly indicating hearing loss?

Smell

  • Has the trash been taken out properly?
  • Is there rotting food in the kitchen?
  • Are the dish disposals or drains clogged?
  • Is the carpet in need of cleaning?
  • Have your parents not bathed enough?
  • Do they have bad breath, possibly indicating poor dental health or denture cleaning practices?

Taste

  • Do meals your parents have made the same way throughout your entire life taste totally different, as if they have forgotten the recipe or are using strange ingredients?
  • Are your parents adding extra salt or sugar to food and beverages, indicating possible smell, taste, or even cognitive problems?
  • Are your parents preparing meals using spoiled ingredients?

If your senses tell you that your elderly parents are coping with needs that require extra assistance and support to handle, consider a referred caregiver to help your senior loved ones on a regular basis.

The articles posted on this blog are provided for general information and discussion purposes only.  These articles are not intended to suggest anything with respect to the operations or services of this office.

If you or an aging loved one are considering non-medical in-home care in Raleigh, NC, call Griswold Home Care and speak to one of our caring staff members today. Call (919) 229-8944

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