If you have elderly parents living independently far away from you, you always worry about them. You wonder if they are eating right. You think about their safety in the kitchen, in the bathroom and in the streets.
The next time you visit them to look for these warning signs which will tell you if they are simply not able to take care of themselves. If they need help, Homecare can assist. Do look out for these signs.
Warning Signs That Tell You Your Parents Need HomeCare
Bruise Marks on their body
If they have any bruises on their body it means they have hurt themselves during the routine work inside the house. It certainly means they are not capable of being on their own and need help.
Messy Kitchen
Most of the times elderly parents are very particular about cleanliness but if you notice that they haven’t been cleaning the dishes routinely or if there is food which is old and inedible in the kitchen or fridge, you have to understand they aren’t able to cope. They need help in cooking food and in keeping things tidy.
If they are in the irritated and angry mood all the time
If you see them upset, angry or in the irritated mood most of the time you need to understand their cognitive abilities are being affected due to old age. They need a lot of assistance and care of perhaps a full-time assistant.
If they are being forgetful
If you notice your parents being forgetful – it is a warning sign. They might forget to take medicine. They may take their medicine twice. They might forget that they have eaten breakfast or dinner and go into the kitchen again for breakfast or dinner. When talking about people and places known to them, they forget the names of people or places.
A drastic change in weight
You notice a change in their weight. They can suddenly appear very fat with weight gain or very thin due to weight loss. It happens when their eating habits are irregular and unhealthy. You will notice they have trouble in moving around, doing their routine work. Weight gain or weight loss affects different people in different ways.
Shabby Appearance
They stop taking interest in dressing up and appear shabby when depressed. A family member can take one look at the parents and understand if they are depressed about something. They stop paying attention to personal hygiene. It all means they are not able to look after themselves on their own.
When you notice these warning signs you must understand that old age has started affecting them and they are no longer capable of taking care of themselves and need help. You must get them help at the earliest.
You must go through this infographic to know more
