Does a relative need help in the home? Elderly people are often quite stubborn and set in their ways. Although this is generally not much of a problem to work with, it can sometimes be quite challenging. This is especially true when it comes to judging how well a senior is coping with daily life as they age.
More often than not, an elderly person won’t actively ask for help. They want to retain their independence for as long as possible. But while this is admirable, it can often end with an incident occurring that could have been prevented had they had help.
Instead of waiting for your elderly loved one to ask you for help, it is advisable to start monitoring their health. Then you can pinpoint when they start to need help with their daily life and act upon it. Here’s our list of some of the things you should be looking out for!
Changes in Physical Appearance
If you are seeing the person on a regular basis, you may start to notice a change in how they look. Although many elderly people’s appearance changes as they age, rapid weight loss can be a sign that they are finding it difficult to cook or eat – or even be able to head out and buy food for themselves.
Marks on their body such as bruises or burns could indicate that they are experiencing mobility problems and are falling regularly or that they are experiencing trouble cooking food in the kitchen.
Even something as small as a noticeable change in hygiene such as greasier hair or bedraggled clothing may signify that they are having problems cleaning or dressing themselves in a morning.
Changes in Mental State
Sometimes it’s not always physical signs that you may notice – changes in mental state and capacity should never be ignored. Even if they are regularly forgetting little things, this could be a red flag for an underlying cognitive condition.
Take particular notice of the following:
- Changes in personality
- Repetitive conversations
- Forgetting names regularly
- Consistent confusion
- Rapid changes in mood and behaviour
- Communicating in unfinished sentences.
It is important to monitor these changes closely and talk them through any that you notice – don’t just book them a doctor’s appointment without consulting them first!
Changes in their Environment
Even if you don’t notice anything wrong or different in the person themselves, their home environment can be a huge giveaway if they are experiencing issues with going about their daily life.
These could be things like simply not cleaning up after themselves, stains on the carpet from spills, lack of food in the cupboards or even a pile of mail under their letterbox.
Although these signs aren’t always an accurate way to tell if your elderly loved one needs help in their home, it’s always worth monitoring them over a short period of time to see if they get better or worse.
Caring for an older person is incredibly rewarding and it’s important to address any changes in their health to ensure their safety and wellbeing – no matter how stubborn they may seem, they will be thankful for your help. Whether this be by giving them help with their daily activities or having a reliable stairlift installed to make moving around their home easier, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.