It can be really difficult to know how to proceed when you know your senior needs more help than you’re able to provide. The conversation can get prickly very quickly and that’s probably something that you want to avoid. That might mean you need to do a little bit of information gathering and then carefully open a conversation.
Assess How Well She’s Eating
Diet and nutritional needs are really important. If your elderly family member isn’t eating well now, you really need to know that. Take a look at what kinds of foods she’s eating. If her refrigerator and her pantry have a lot of expired foods or they’re emptier than you expect, that might be a bad sign. Ask your elderly family member what she’s usually eating. She might be relying on convenience foods more than is healthy.
Are There Safety Issues?
It’s also important to look at possible safety issues. Is your senior facing home repairs that are difficult or impossible for her to handle? Is she avoiding simple tasks, like changing light bulbs, even though that makes her home a little less safe? These are things you may need to investigate a little further in order to figure out. They’re not always obvious at first glance.
What Else Are You Noticing?
There are other things you might be noticing, even if you don’t realize you’re noticing them at first. Things like whether your senior is opening her mail or not could be important. If clutter or papers are piling up, that can also be an important signal for you to notice. Rearranging furniture might be a good idea, too, especially if your elderly family member needs more room for better mobility.
Be Open and Straightforward
By the time you’re ready to actually open up a conversation with your senior about all of this, you should have a good bit of information to help you. Be open and honest with her, and make sure that you’re not hedging or dodging anything. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Having help from home care providers can make life easier for both your senior and you as her caregiver.
Just because you’re trying to get help in place for your senior, that doesn’t mean that you don’t trust her or that you don’t respect her ability to take care of herself. What it does mean is that you care and that you want the best for her
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Clermont, FL, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Clermont today. 1-888-423-4046.