Four Signs that it’s Time to Look for Assistance
One of your biggest challenges as a caregiver might be knowing when it’s time to bring in some more help. Most caregivers are reluctant to step on their senior’s toes by doing this too quickly, but if you wait, you might find that your senior needs more help than you realized.
Daily Life Is Posing Big Challenges
Regular daily activities like getting dressed, cooking meals, and taking care of her home may have been easy for your senior until recently. As she gets older and as her health changes, you might start to notice that these tasks are becoming more and more difficult for your elderly family member. You might also hear her make small comments hinting at the challenges she’s facing.
Your Senior’s Appearance Is Changing
Gradually you may start to notice that your elderly family member’s appearance is changing. She may be losing weight, bathing less often, or you may notice that she starts to wear the same clothes over and over. These are signs that something is different for her. It might be that she’s lonely or depressed, but she might also find it physically challenging to keep up with these tasks.
How She Takes Care of Her Home Is Changing
In addition to your senior’s own appearance changing, you might notice that her home doesn’t look the same as it did. Mail may be piling up, dust might be collecting, and there might be dishes in the sink. All of this is a sign that your senior could be in need of some more help in order to keep her home safe enough to live in. Left too long, these types of problems can become a huge safety hazard.
You’re Noticing Other Changes, Too
It’s also possible that your elderly family member is displaying the strain on her life in some other ways. She might be withdrawing from friends and family or forgetting about important appointments. She might be angry or sad more often. All of these are signs that she might not be handling the emotional aspect of aging as well as you hoped she would.
Knowing when it’s the right time to bring in senior care providers is not easy. You might feel as if you should be doing more yourself or you may be just as overwhelmed as your elderly family member is right now. Either way, these signs let you know that changes are in the works for your senior.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Spotswood, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care Serving Somerset and Middlesex/Union Counties today. Call (732) 607-8870.
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