It’s common for many older adults to require care as they age. Illness, mobility, cognitive decline or some combination of all of the above can make continued independence difficult, which means that home care is often a natural step in the aging process.
This transition can mean a better quality of life, as an older adult might finally get the kind of care they have been needing for some time, but that still doesn’t mean that the transition is easy. Many older adults are reluctant to accept help, and their adult children might feel uncomfortable bringing up the topic, which means care is delayed, often making the problem worse.
Yes, it can be awkward to start the conversation, but it will feel a lot worse if you put it off due to discomfort, and then end up in a situation where your parent is unable to do the things they love because a health issue gets to be out of control due to lack of attention. That’s why it’s so important to know what signs to look for when it comes to your parent needing homecare. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, and it’s important to listen to your gut if you notice something that concerns you, but the following are some common warning signs that your parent may be in need of some support. If attended to quickly, you could give them a chance at a longer, more enjoyable life.
Trouble Maintaining Their Home
The first sign we’ll talk about today is noticing that your parent seems to be having trouble keeping their house in order. Often this presents as noticing that there seems to be a lot more clutter around then there was before. There might be tripping hazards on the ground, and you might find that they are holding onto a lot of items that you might classify as garbage.
You might also notice that services that were once spotless are suddenly covered in grime or dust. Your parent might struggle to vacuum or mop, and so the floors are scattered with dust and crumbs. Bathrooms and kitchens might be particularly messy.
Trouble maintaining a house will also likely affect the grounds as well. Yards might be completely overgrown, and gutters might become clogged.
Of course, trouble with maintenance can come with a wide range of problems. Clutter can increase the risk of falls, as outlined by Amada Senior Health. Excess belongings can also create a fire hazard. While dirt and grime could be extremely detrimental to one’s health. And trying to landscape while experiencing a decline in health can easily lead to serious injury.
Maintaining a home is hard work for anybody, so it’s not surprising for someone to struggle to keep up with it from time to time. But, if you notice it become an ongoing issue, particularly if it wasn’t something they had a problem with before, then it’s worth asking a few questions to find out if your parent needs some help.
Personal Hygiene Issues
Along with trouble maintaining their home, some older adults struggle to keep up with their personal appearance. Here are some things to look out for:
- Inconsistent bathing. You might notice that your parent doesn’t seem to be particularly clean. Their hair might be constantly greasy, their body could be giving off an odor, and they might even mention how much they don’t like taking a shower or bath. They might even talk about their fears surrounding bathing, telling you that they’re not doing it out of a fear that they’ll slip and fall while in the tub.
- Trouble dressing. You might find that your parent is always in the same outfit, or seems to have trouble with putting on clothes properly.
- This could look like zippers left upon, buttons not lined up, clothes that are inside out, or clothes that seem to constantly have stains on them.
- Trouble with using the toilet. You might notice urine or feces consistently left on the toilet seat, or a smell that suggests your parent is struggling to clean up after they use the facilities.
Poor Mental Health
Often, the signs on this list are triggered by mental health, or the decline of some physical abilities can often trigger mental health issues. Either way, poor mental health can often play a part in your parent needing homecare.
The World Health Organization tells us that 14% of people over the age of 60 deal with a mental health condition. While some of these conditions might be longstanding, such as a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or OCD, other conditions might only appear in older age.
Older adults are often going through a quick succession of life transitions, such as loss of income, a change of residence, losing a spouse or other loved ones and a feeling that the world is moving on without them. Coupled with the agism that is so common in our society, it is very easy for older adults to struggle with depression and anxiety.
While homecare can be a good solution to combat some of these symptoms, if you see that your parent is struggling with their mental health then it also might be worthwhile to recommend they see a therapist. Total Life offers therapy for a variety of issues, and telephone services can be covered with Medicare.
A few symptoms to look out for that might signal a poor mental state include:
- Emotional outbursts. This might look like fits of shouting or crying, and might even be counteracted by being in an unusually chipper mood.
- Lack of interest in the things they used to love.
- Social isolation. Constantly refusing or cancelling on plans.
- They are tired all of the time and seem to be having trouble sleeping.
- Trouble focusing.
Frequent Falls
As you likely already know, falls are one of the leading causes of injuries for older adults. The National Safety Council tells us that 1 in 4 older adults fall each year, millions are hospitalized, and over the past 10 years deaths from falls by older adults has increased by 60%. This is understandably concerning data, so it’s no surprise that frequent falls by your parents might signal that need for some extra support.
There are some changes that can be made to an older adult’s home that can help minimize the likelihood of a fall taking place. These might include installing grab bars in the bathroom and near staircases. Reducing clutter and securing rugs is another good way to lessen the chance of a fall. However, sometimes an older adult has simply gotten to a point where it’s unsafe for them to be alone for an extended period of time. You don’t want to worry about your parent lying alone at home, unable to move or call for help. So, if you notice that your parent is falling a lot or seems to constantly have bruises and other unexplained injuries, then it’s probably time to start looking into securing homecare.
Decline in Adequate Nutrition
For some older adults, the major sign that they need help is that they stop being able to provide themselves with adequate, nutritional meals. You might go over to their house and find nothing in the fridge or cupboards. You might also find that they’re eating the same thing each day, often something that is sugary and lacking in nutrients.
There can be a variety of reasons for why an older adult might struggle to cook for themselves, and usually this is not going to be an isolated issue. But, of course, we know that getting a healthy diet full of nutrients and protein is crucial for good health, so warning bells should go off for you as soon as you notice that your parent is struggling to provide themselves with adequate nutrition.
The National Institutes of Health reminds us about how serious poor nutrition can be for our health, leading to potentially life threatening conditions such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. A poor diet can also greatly increase your chance of obesity and deficiencies such as anemia. Lack of proper nutrition can also cause chronic inflammation and poor sleep.
Of course, a few cupcakes or chips every now and then doesn’t mean your parent has a poor diet, but if you notice that they are eating a lot of fat, sugar, red meat, simple carbs or junk food, or simply not eating enough, then it might be time to intervene.
Missed Medication
A sign for some older adults that they need some help is when they start missing medication. Most people have a lapse in memory from time to time, but missing medication can have very serious consequences, so seeing this sign in your parent should not be taken lightly. There are a couple of tips that people can use to remember to take their medication, so if your parent is newly on medication and is having trouble remembering, here are a few ideas:
- Calendar alerts. You can set daily reminders on your phone or computer, or even write it on a physical calendar that you might hang on the wall.
- Set an alarm. You can arrange for a clock or a phone to go off at the exact same time each day to remember to take medication. Depending on the device you use you might even be able to attach the alarm to a specific song.
- Pill box. A pill box labeled with each day is a great way to remember to take your medication, and also eases the stress of what to take on which day if you are on several different types of medication. Put the pill box somewhere you can’t miss, like on the dining room table so that you remember to take it when you sit down to enjoy a meal.
If you’ve tried all of the above tricks with your parent and they are still struggling, or if they have been taking medication with no issues for many years and are suddenly having consistent problems, then that is the time to consider other options.
Confusion, Memory Issues
The final sign we’ll talk about today is when you notice that your parent seems to be struggling with confusion or memory issues. Cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can not only be distressing for you and your parent, but left unattended to, these conditions could have fatal consequences. If unattended, someone with one of these conditions might wander off and not be able to find their way home, get into a car accident, leave the stove on, and any other number of upsetting and preventable accidents. Not every moment of confusion or forgetfulness means you have to panic, but if you have noticed it to be an ongoing issue then it is definitely something you should encourage your parent to get checked out immediately. Doctors have very quick and simple tests that should let you and your parent know whether or not they should be concerned, so it’s well worth the visit. And, if your parent has been experiencing memory or confusion issues and it’s not one of the above diseases, then at least you will have ruled that out and can focus on pursuing another diagnosis. Here are some things to watch out for:
- Confusion about time, places or people. Someone might forget the route home that they’ve walked a thousand times, or not be able to recall the name of someone they’re close to.
- Changes in personality. Someone might seem to be having a lot of mood swings, or be particularly agitated or paranoid. They might be quick to anger and seem to be keeping secrets.
- Struggles with finding their words. Someone might appear to constantly be searching for words.
- Repetitive questions. Someone might ask the same thing or need to be shown how to do something simple over and over again. And they might not be aware that this is something they have already asked you about, and approach it as though they are doing so for the very first time.
- Misplacing objects. You might notice that someone is putting objects in odd places, like a jar of pickles that’s stored in the linen closet, or a book that’s been stuffed into a shoe.
Again, not every symptom of memory loss or confusion is going to mean a major cognitive issue. There are many medications or illnesses that could cause temporary conditions. However, even if temporary, these are symptoms that could cause serious issues, and it’s a good idea to get your parent to a doctor to find out what’s going on.
Hopefully you’ve already talked about care plans with your parent and have regular check-ins about their health. If not, then what better time to start than now? It’s always a good idea to address something sooner rather than later. It might feel embarrassing at first, but once it becomes a routine that awkwardness soon fades. Remember, this is about getting them help so they can live a long and happy life that involves spending more time with you!
