Growing older can be challenging for the person who's aging as well as hard for their loved ones who see they need more care. Often, older people who need help are able to remain at home and age in place thanks to compassionate caregiving professionals. Here are five signs your loved one may need at-home senior care, along with some considerations and warnings.
Is your loved one failing to eat regular, nutritionally balanced meals? Even if seniors can prepare their own meals, sometimes they don't receive the right nourishment. This could be due to various factors, such as not being able to manage simple cooking tasks or failing to plan meals. In some cases, elderly people can't get to the grocery store.
As a result, they lack the proper nutrition they need and can even become dehydrated or undernourished. But by having a home caregiver, you can be assured your loved one is receiving the right nutrition and hydration.
One of the main red flags suggesting an older person needs help is frequent falling. Unfortunately, 25 percent of older people fall each year with only less than half of them informing their doctor. In fact, once a person has experienced a fall, their chances of falling, again, doubles.
Some factors contributing to elderly people falling include imbalance, tripping hazards, faulty eyesight, body weakness, medications, and vitamin D deficiency. But by having a an in-home caregiver, your loved one is much safer.
Does your loved one need companionship? Are they lonely and isolated? It’s important to remember that being connected to others is critical for both physical and emotional health. A professional at-home caregiver can give your loved one high-quality senior companionship so that their life becomes fuller and more balanced.
Older people suffering from chronic illnesses usually require regular visits to doctors' offices and medical care centers for treatment. Furthermore, these seniors are generally much more susceptible to developing other types of conditions. Thus, because they're at high risk, they need additional care from overnight senior care professional caregivers.
Additionally, recovering from surgery or illness may require the need for more assistance at home. It's during this time that older people are especially prone to develop infections or other illnesses and may even need to be hospitalized again. A 24-hour consistent senior care provider can reduce the chance of future illnesses or hospital readmission.
Noticing a decline in housekeeping standards can be a reason for concern. For example, does your loved one's house seem more cluttered than normal? Are there stacks of dirty dishes in the sink? Do you notice filthy surfaces and piles of dirty clothes scattered on the floor? These signs can mean your loved one needs help with basic housekeeping and could benefit from a professional home caregiver.
● If you detect a lack of confidence in your loved one's ability to drive, consider how a home caregiver can help.
● Look for any patterns of forgetfulness, such as your loved one forgetting to take medications or not remembering doctor appointments.
At Senior Helpers, our mission is to help our clients and their families improve the quality of life during the aging process as well as maintain peace of mind and enjoy independence in their own homes. We offer 24-hour home care and senior care services. Our service area includes Concord, Salisbury, Kannapolis, China Grove, Mt Pleasant, New London, Gold Hill, Rockwell, and Granite Quarry. For more information on our wide range of services, contact us.