If your elderly family member has always been independent, it might be tough to pinpoint when she’s at a stage when she truly does need some extra help. You might have to ask her specific questions or start noticing some smaller clues to help you to open up a conversation with her about what’s going on.
Her Home Is Becoming Cluttered or Dirty
A dirty or cluttered home is one that isn’t very safe for your elderly family member. There can be a great many tripping hazards and it might not be hygienic for her. With help from someone else, your elderly family member’s home can be much safer for her on multiple levels.
She’s Not Eating Regular Meals
Getting the right nutrition is key to your senior maintaining her health. If she’s not eating healthy meals or if you can’t tell what she’s eating or when, she may need more help. Hiring elder care providers to assist with all things related to meals, groceries, and helping your senior to eat can be hugely helpful.
Your Senior Isn’t Doing Her Laundry
On the surface, laundry doesn’t seem like a big issue. But if your elderly family member isn’t keeping up with laundry, that can lead to other problems. She might just keep wearing the same clothes for days on end or she might be spending a lot of money buying fresh clothes to avoid having to wash the clothes she has.
She’s Having Trouble Driving
Has your senior had accidents in her car? If so, it might not be safe for her to keep driving. That doesn’t mean that she will willingly hand over the keys to her car, however. You may need to make sure that she has another option in place well before she agrees to stop driving herself.
She’s Avoiding Other People
Many aging adults start to avoid other people when they start to need a lot more help. This can happen because your senior is embarrassed or because she feels as if she can’t keep up the façade around other people. Your senior may not have seen close friends or even family in person for quite a while. This can lead to loneliness and isolation, and it doesn’t have to be that way for her.
If you’re noticing inconsistencies with your senior’s behaviors, home, or hygiene, it might be time to hire elder care providers to offer companionship and help where needed.
