It could be the mail stacking up or expired groceries never thrown away. Whatever it is, it’s important for you,as the child of an aging parent,to recognize and understand the signs that your aging parents may be in need of assistance.
From our experience, we’ve seen parents or their children (sometimes both) admit that there’s a problem—and often admit that the aging parent needs help, yet be reluctant to do anything. It is natural, that as we age, some of our daily living activities can become too much to manage on our own. Some of these activities can become challenges that if not addressed,can lead to accidents.
Fortunately, there are signs that make it easy for you to determine if your loved one is need of assistance.Let’s look at some of the common warning signs.
When to Get Help for your Aging Parents
- 1. The house is cluttered and disorganized.
Have you known your aging parent to keep a fairly tidyhouse all your life? But now, every time you visit the dishes are left in the sink for days or the hamper is stuffed to the brim. Does it look like the vacuum has not been run?
- 2. They forget to take their medication on time.
If your aging parent is under maintenance medicines, forgetting to take them is an obvious risk to health. Forgetfulness is one of the signs of short-term memory loss and could also be a symptom for early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
- 3. They make repeated phone calls at odd hours, most notably at dawn.
One of the common signs we hear from clients is that their parents call them repeatedly during the wee hours in the morning. The aging parent may speak about a spouse coming home late at night, accusing them of an illicit affair. Sometimes, they call their children only because they can’t sleep. After they assure the parent everything is fine, they may call back again in just a matter of minutes.
- 4. They don’t like cooking or shopping.
As we age, we often don’t have the energy to grocery shop andcook the way we once did. Try to put yourself in your elderly parent’s shoes. If they’re finding it difficult slicing tomatoes and following a recipe,they likely don’t have the energy or mental acuity to purchase these items at the grocery store, or vice versa.
- 5. They struggle to perform basic activities of daily living.
We’ve commonly had clients tell us that their aging parent may develop hygiene issues. The parent may seem to wear the same clothes over and over again, or doesn’t shower as often as they once did. An elderly parent may also develop poor eating habits that become a risk for abrupt weight loss or gain. These may be signs that they’re feeling confused or apatheticand definitely a signal that your parent needs some help.
- 6. They seem to exhibit a feeling of loneliness or despair.
When an aging parent feels that they’re useless because they can’t perform activities that were once easy for them, it’s natural for them to fall into despair. This is nearly inevitable if they live alone or have no one to talk with.These feelings of loneliness and/or despair can lead to depression if not addressed on time.
- 7. They show frequent mood swings.
Have you ever noticed that your aging parent is happy today but sad the next week? Or even more immediate, one hour they are excited to go to a family gathering, and an hour later they regret ever attending? Frequent mood swings may be an underlying cause of something more serious, so it’s best that you seek a professional to help provide insight and discuss your options.
When you see these warning signs, it is important to act quickly. The sooner you notice these changes, the quicker you can find a solution to help your parent navigate the aging process and to keep them living in their own home safely and comfortably.
Getting help is one call away. If you’re looking for a free consultation to learn more about how you can help improve your aging parent’s quality of life once you observe these warning signs, contact us here.