It is often tough on families to determine if mom or dad are doing well living alone.  How does one know if it is time to seek help for our aging loved one? 

The following are some signs that your aging loved one may need some additional help:

(1) Has their personal hygiene decreased? Often a problem with mobility or fear of falling may cause your aging loved one to reduce their bathing habits. 

(2) Are they turning down invitations to go out, refusing to see family and friends? This may be a sign the aging parent needs assistance.

(3) Have their housekeeping habits changed? If your parent has been relatively neat and orderly in the past and that has declined, this may be a sign that they may require some assistance.

(4) Are bills going unpaid or is your parent experiencing financial trouble? Again, if in the past your parent has been able to handle this task, this change may be a sign that their thought process to maintain their finances has declined or become overwhelmed.

(5) Have their sleep patterns changed? Are they sleeping a lot more or less, this may be a warning sign that your parent is ill or depressed.

(6) Has your parent experienced a significant weight loss or gain? This may be a sign that an aging parent is suffering nutritionally.  It may be a sign that they may be depressed or that grocery shopping and/or cooking may have become too much for them to handle on their own.
 
(7) Take a look at the bottom of your parent’s pots and pans for burn marks. This can be an indication that a parent is forgetting about pots left on the stove, causing a fire hazard.

(8) Is your parent forgetting to take their medications? This is a sign of short term memory loss or depression.

(9) Is your parent easily frustrated, becoming more combative or showing aggressive behavior?These are signs that your aging parent may need some assistance.

(10) Is your loved having trouble getting around? Unsteady gait, increased falling and vision problems are all signs an aging parent may need help.

(11) Has your parent’s behavior or routine changed, are they withdrawing from activities, crying or showing signs of listlessness? As our loved ones age and their friends pass on, many of our aging loved ones feel isolated leading to depression in many cases.

Talk with other family members, friends and neighbors to explore how mom or dad are doing on their own.  If you feel that there is assistance needed or that they can no longer maintain living on their own, please start planning now…don’t wait until a crisis occurs.