Our parents cared for us when we were young. As they age, the caregiving roles can reverse; our parents may require help from us rather than the other way around. Sometimes it’s hard to know just when that time is, though.
Here are the 10 signs your elderly parent needs help, as well as how you can create a care plan together as a family.
Warning Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Assistance
A combination of the following signs could indicate that your aging loved one needs assistance with his or her daily tasks.
1. Weight Changes
Noticeable weight loss or weight gain can be a potential red flag. Such changes can indicate declines in health, eating habits, and more due to memory loss, being unable to go grocery shopping alone, and more.
2. Memory Loss
Everyone forgets keys and appointments every now and again. Memory issues that go beyond standard forgetfulness, however, can indicate a serious issue like dementia or severe urinary tract infection (UTI).
Abnormal memory loss symptoms include:
- Having issues finding the right words
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Being unable to recognize familiar names and faces
3. Unexplained Bruises
Unexplained bruises can indicate that an older adult is experiencing frequent falls. Falling is a major health concern for older people; it’s a leading cause of injury and death for older adults, according to the CDC.
Common causes of balance problems in older people can include Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, dementia, and poor eyesight.
4. Severe Mood Swings
When your happy-go-lucky parent pivots from joy to sadness to anger at the drop of a hat, it could mean there is a problem. Behavioral changes and severe mood swings can be common symptoms of dementia, particularly if these symptoms occur in the late afternoon or early evening. Mood or personality changes could also indicate mental health issues, substance problems, and more, all of which require medical attention.
5. Unfilled or Overfilled Medications
Another sign that your loved one needs help is when he or she leaves prescriptions consistently unfilled. Not refilling medications could indicate memory issues, depression, mobility problems, or something else.
Conversely, attempting to refill medications more often than usual could also indicate mental illness, memory changes, or substance problems. Either issue is worth investigating further.
6. Body Odor
Dementia, depression, and mobility issues can all lead to someone putting off personal hygiene tasks like showering, cleaning clothes, and brushing teeth.
7. Dirty Living Space
Dirty clothes scatter across the floor, spoiled food overflows from the kitchen, and dust bunnies line the hallway. If this situation sounds like your parent’s living situation, it could indicate that help is needed. A once-tidy person letting his or her space become dirty or cluttered could indicate problems like depression, cognitive decline, and mobility impairments.
8. Recurring Health Issues
New or worsening medical conditions and/or recurring health issues like frequent UTIs can be a major red flag in older adults. These health conditions indicate that the older person cannot take care of himself or herself as well as before.
9. Unpaid Bills
Age-related cognitive decline can frequently lead to issues with handling money. One tell-tale sign of worrying age-related memory problems is a stack of unpaid bills.
10. Withdrawing from Social Interactions
Depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, as well as hearing loss can all lead to a social butterfly withdrawing from social activities.
How to Help Elderly Parents
You love your family members and want to help them lead a full life. If your family believes an older relative needs additional support, here is what you can do.
Determine the Level of Care Needed
Determine how much help your loved one needs by asking questions like the following:
- Is your parent mentally sharp but has some physical limitations that make personal care tasks, such as toileting or bathing, harder? If so, assisted living communities or in-home care services are worth exploring.
- Does your parent have extensive memory loss? If so, memory care could help.
- Does your parent have intense care needs that require extensive help from skilled caregivers or healthcare professionals? If so, skilled nursing care may be necessary.
Once you’ve determined the level of care your parent needs, you can create a care plan.
Create a Senior Care Plan
Your family—including the senior in question—can come together to discuss care options that fit your family’s needs, lifestyle, and budget.
Ask yourself questions like the following:
- Is living at home feasible?
- What modifications are necessary to make your parent’s home safe to live in? Will you need to install grab bars, better lighting, or something else?
- If living at home, do you need to hire professional caregivers to help with tasks like grocery shopping and medication management or can family members take over these tasks?
- Are there underlying health conditions that require regular monitoring or physical therapy to recover from? If so, how will your loved one receive that care: in the home, at an outpatient center, or at an inpatient facility?
Have Regular Check-Ins
Communication is key to ensuring your parent’s well-being. Once-daily check-ins—either by phone or in person—can help you ensure that your loved one is socializing, receiving necessary care services, and has not fallen/requires immediate medical attention.
Explore Senior Living Options
You’ve noticed the warning signs that your elderly parent needs help. You’ve created a senior care plan together as a family. You’ve made the necessary modifications to the home. Despite all these changes, there may come a point where it is no longer safe for your parent to live at home. In these cases, it’s worth exploring senior living communities to see that your parent gets the help he or she needs to have the best quality of life possible.
Disclaimers: This article is for informational purposes only. It cannot diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Please discuss healthcare concerns with a licensed medical professional.