How to Assess if an Older Adult Needs Caregiving Help
A certified aging-in-place specialist can recommend modifications to make your loved one’s home safer, and a physical or occupational therapist can evaluate the person’s home environment and mobility.
Mental health
Dementia is more of a memory change or impairment. A common theme is forgetfulness, which is more than people would expect with normal aging. An older adult with depression may exhibit dementia-like symptoms, so being able to distinguish between the two is crucial.
Money matters
Offer to assist with the more complicated matters while your loved one continues to handle day-to-day household finances. Look for stacks of unopened mail and unpaid bills, uncashed checks, and key documents. Another red flag: unusual transactions or amounts of money going to charities.
Driving
Seniors outlive their ability to drive safely by an average of seven to ten years; suggest that they refresh their driving skills by taking a driver safety course, or look for other transportation options to help them get around if it’s time to hang up the keys.
Changes in appearance
Unusual bruises and an odor could indicate that your loved one isn’t showering.
Life at home
Adults aged 50 and older have a higher risk of mortality due to social isolation and loneliness, so arrange for home-delivered meals, housekeeping, and laundry assistance if necessary. Regular phone calls or video chats can help keep your parent socially connected.
Medication
Geriatric pharmacists are especially knowledgeable about how medications affect older people and can review all of your loved one’s prescriptions, not just those prescribed by a doctor. To find a pharmacist near you, go to the Board of Pharmacy Specialties.
The next step
According to Rughwani, the best person to contact is your primary care physician or a geriatrician, who can send a visiting nurse, social worker, or physical therapist to the patient’s home, or hire geriatric care managers to conduct assessments in the home.
What are signs that an elderly needs assistance?
Behavioral and mental health changes
- Lack of motivation.
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities.
- Difficulty keeping track of time.
- Failure to return phone calls to friends and family members.
- Changes in mood or extreme mood swings.
- Increased agitation.
How do you help an elderly person who won t help?
When Elderly Parents Refuse to Help: 8 Communication Strategies
- Accept the situation.
- Choose your battles.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself.
- Treat your aging parents like adults.
- Ask them to do it for the kids (or grandkids)
- Find an outlet for your feelings.
- Include them in future plans.
Who do you call if you are worried about an elderly person?
If you’re concerned about someone’s health or welfare but don’t believe it’s an emergency, call 111 for NHS advice, which is available 24 hours a day; in other cases, contact the local council in the person’s area and report an ‘adult safeguarding’ concern.
When should I be concerned about my elderly parent?
If your aging parents are losing weight unexpectedly, be concerned; this could indicate physical health issues or, more likely, memory issues. Check the refrigerator the next time you visit if you are able.
How can I help my elderly parent stay at home?
10 Ways to Assist Your Parents in Aging in Place
- Address safety concerns for aging in place.
- Prepare for emergencies.
- Have a plan to accommodate changes to their daily routine.
- Meet the need for companionship.
- Support your parent in staying active.
What an elderly person needs?
To stay healthy, senior citizens may require proper medication, which begins with adequate medical care, such as doctor’s visits, dental care, foot care, eye care, physical therapy, and, if necessary, psychiatric therapy.
Can you force an elderly person to go to the hospital?
The truth is that anyone of sound mind has the right to refuse medical treatment, which means that family caregivers cannot force their loved ones to seek or receive medical treatment, even if it would improve their health and quality of life.
Are you legally responsible for your elderly parents?
In the United States, requiring children to care for their elderly parents is a state-by-state issue, with some states requiring no such obligation. Currently, 27 states have filial responsibility laws, but children in Wisconsin are not legally liable for their elderly parents’ care.
What is elderly self neglect?
Elder self-neglect is a global public health and human rights issue that jeopardizes the health and safety of older people. It is defined as the refusal or failure to provide oneself with food, water, clothing, hygiene, medication, living environments, and safety precautions.
What do you do when an elderly person doesn’t answer the phone?
There are a million reasons why someone might not answer a call or answer a knock at their door, and the police may contact their emergency contact or dispatch an officer for a wellness check if the recipient does not answer the phone several times.
Can I get paid to look after my elderly parents?
If you provide unpaid care for your elderly parents, you may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance, a government benefit that helps people who do so. Caring for your parents can be very rewarding, but it can also put a strain on your finances.
What do you do when someone can’t look after themselves?
What can be done by families, friends, neighbors, and service providers to assist.
- Learn to recognize warning signs and symptoms.
- Assist the adult in reducing isolation as much as possible.
- Stay in touch.
- Talk to the person.
- Assist the person in accepting help from others.
- Assist the adult in obtaining any services he or she may require.