Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Afton Patterson
Helping a loved one age in place may mean stopping by a parent’s home to check in every few days or it may mean someone needs to be there daily. When your loved one needs assistance with tasks such as bathing and meal prep, medication management, or driving to appointments, or if you are overwhelmed as the only caregiver, there is no shame in asking for help. When providing care is more than one person can manage on their own, it may be time to seek In-Home help. Whatever level of care you provide, these tips can help you help your loved one remain at home for as long, and as comfortably, as possible.
Issues With Driving
It is challenging to criticize someone’s driving because it is touchy. However, letting someone who cannot drive by themselves get behind the wheel is reckless. That person will be a risk to themselves and others if they go on busy roads. If someone in your family keeps getting traffic tickets or dents on their car, you should consider hiring home health care for their safety. The next time your loved one goes for a drive; monitor their behavior and alertness on the road. This will help you determine if they need senior care support.
Questionable Hygiene
Did an elderly family member surprise you with a unique new smell when you celebrated the holidays together? If you notice that someone’s appearance looks off or they smell due to poor hygiene, this is a sign that they need home care support. Keep a lookout for wearing soiled clothes, wearing the same outfit over and over, or if they have a foul body odor.
Weight Changes
A family member who has suddenly lost a lot of weight since the last time you saw them may not be eating enough. They may have lost the ability to cook and the desire to go grocery shopping for themselves. This is one of the most serious home health care signs because it can mean that your loved one struggles with depression. Observe their eating and cooking habits. Check if they have supplies at home or spoiled food in the fridge.
Memory Problems
This is one of the most surefire home health signs to know when someone is in trouble. Did someone forget to turn off the stove after cooking? Are they taking their medications on schedule? Confusion and memory problems can mean that the person is dealing with dementia. This is dangerous because it can also lead them to forget to take their medications and mismanage finances.
Social Isolation
Many older adults suffer from loneliness because their family members and friends become too busy to visit. Social isolation has a profound impact on someone’s physical and mental well-being. This can also lead to depression if your loved one does not get the support they need. With the best home health care service, you can always have peace of mind that someone keeps your family member company to ensure they have someone to talk to.
Physical Problems
If someone is losing mobility and cannot dress, bathe, eat, walk, sit, or stand by themselves, they will benefit significantly from home health care. Otherwise, they may not be able to get out of bed in the mornings without anyone’s help and may be embarrassed to tell anyone.
Too Much Clutter
One of the most obvious signs that a loved one is in trouble is when they have a cluttered and messy home. Unless someone has always been untidy, a neglectful home can surprise their families and friends, especially if they were a neat and clean person before. Do they have piles of dirty clothes, stacks of dirty dishes, overgrown grass, or bags of garbage lying around? This is an obvious sign that the person needs the best home health care service because they are too overwhelmed to keep up with day-to-day chores.
Highest Honor Home Care, LLC is privately owned and operated. Our mission is to assist every client with improving their quality of life, encouraging independence, and allowing them to be comfortable with excellent care in their homes by providing first-class, professional care with respect, dignity, and compassion with the highest ethical standards and honor.
If you or a loved one needs additional support, or the home care services mentioned here, contact Highest Honor Home Care by sending an email to info@highesthonorhomecare.com or by calling 941.204.8636. They offer service to Charlotte, DeSoto, and Sarasota counties. Their team of highly qualified professionals would be glad to talk to you and give you more information about how home care could work for you.
941-204-8636
www.highesthonorhomecare.com
