Can You Tell When Your Senior Needs a Caregiver?
Your senior may get to a point where she’s not as able to keep up with the demands of her life on her own as she used to be. At that stage it might be a good idea to consider hiring senior care services.
She’s not as Active as She Used to Be
There are two main types of “activity” you need to pay attention to with your senior. The first is physical activity. And if your elderly family member’s mobility has changed for the worse, it’s likely related to being less physically active than she used to be. This can cause her to lose muscle tone, balance, and more. Social activity is equally important, because if she’s less socially active than she used to be, she may be experiencing isolation and loneliness.
She’s Having More Trouble with Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation involves your senior being able to respond with the right emotion and degree of emotion to specific situations. If something upsets your elderly family member, she might respond in an exaggerated manner, even if the situation is relatively small. Excessive frustration, large mood swings, and signs of depression may all be related to emotional dis-regulation.
Her Home Isn’t as Safe or as Clean as it Needs to Be
The environment in which your senior lives is crucial, too. If her home isn’t clean, then it’s not a hygienic space for her to live in, no matter how long she’s lived there. Safety is also tremendously important, so if items are getting stacked against walls instead of being handled properly, that can create a scenario where something can fall on your elderly family member. It’s really important to visit your senior so you can see firsthand what’s going on inside her home.
Her Appearance Has Changed
One of the more obvious changes may be changes in your elderly family member’s appearance. Does it look as if she’s keeping up with laundry, or is she more disheveled than ever? Is she taking showers or do you suspect that she’s skipping bathing altogether? There can be a great many reasons that these things are happening, so it helps to have a gentle conversation with your senior.
Hiring senior care providers to assist your senior with these and other concerns can help her to live a safer and happier life. Talk with her about what she needs and the help that she’s willing to accept.
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