It is difficult to recognize the warning signs that your aging loved ones may need extra care, as life becomes busy and family disperses. Visits and phone calls become less frequent, making it difficult to pin point any signals that may arise. Signals that may be indicators that your senior is not aging safely at home.
Here is a list of behaviors or household things to be aware of this holiday season as you may visit aging loved ones.
- Hoarding/ Or cluttering in the home
- Cleanliness of the home
- Lack of personal hygiene
- Unclean clothes
- Difficulty walking or transitioning onto furniture
- Damage to vehicle
- Loss of driving confidence
- Fridge is bare
- Expired food in the fridge or pantry
- Medications not being taken correctly or at all
- Prescription refills may not be occurring (check the dates on the current prescriptions)
- Unopened mail
- Difficulty concentrating/poor judgement
- Loss of appetite or loss of weight
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Signs of depression
- Unexplained bruising
Documenting these signs this holiday season as you visit with aging loved ones is imperative. The only way to prevent/treat future falls, mishaps, illnesses is to be aware of warning signs such as these and figuring out what the next steps are to addressing these challenges. By doing so you can help your aging loved ones age safely at home.
Download this list of things to look for here
