Warning Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Home Care

Warning Signs home care

Families must recognize when an aging parent needs help at home

By Chris Berry

Is your mom or dads unopened mail piling up? Is your dad, who previously took great pride in his wardrobe, wearing dirty clothes and paying little attention to his appearance? Are there bruises or cuts on your aging parent’s arms that  they cannot explain or remember? When you ask your aging parent these questions do they dismiss you and ensure that everything is alright?

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 It is difficult for aging parents to admit that they need help because that is to admit that they are no longer able to take care of themselves. “Denial is the unrealistic hope that a problem is not really happening and will go away by itself. Admitting they need help and accepting assistance is not easy for people as they age. It represents a loss of independence. Denial plays a major role – and signs get ignored,” says Paul Hogan, Founder and Chairman of Home Instead Senior Care.

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As a result, it is the family’s duty to identify the warning signs that an aging parent may need assistance with day-to-day living tasks. Recognizing these signs doesn’t necessarily mean that your parent needs to be put in assisted living or a nursing home, but it likely means that they some help in their home. Here are are some signs that will allow you to recognize is your elderly parent needs some help at home:

  • Rotten food sitting around

  • Failure to attend important appointments

  • Bruises that cannot be explained

  • Difficulty getting up when seated

  • Trouble with walking, balance and mobility

  • Difficulty completing tasks that were once easy

  • A tendency to forget

  • Body odor

  • Poor hygiene

  • Intense urine smell in the house

  • Obvious decline in grooming habits and personal care

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  • Extreme clutter and dirty laundry piling up

  • Piles of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox

  • Notices of late payments, bounced checks and calls from bill collectors

  • Declining diet or weight loss

  • Disinterest in hobbies and activities

  • Extreme mood swings

  • Failure to take medications – or taking more than the prescribed dosage

  • Diagnosis of dementia or early onset Alzheimer’s

  • Unexplained dents and scratches on a car

Read more: http://www.agingcare.com/Articles/signs-your-parent-needs-help-143228.htm

Christopher J. Berry is an elder law lawyer in Michigan Dedicated to helping seniors, veterans and their families navigate the long-term care maze. To learn more visit http://www.theeldercarefirm.com/ or call 248.481.4000

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