8 Signs Your Loved One Needs Home Care

Getting old is part of nature, it happens to everyone. Our parents and loved ones would eventually reach the age where they would need help or assistance. Our first response would be to provide help, but what about our own responsibilities? We can’t be there all the time and there are situations where we are not the best to handle it. 

There is nothing wrong with getting help from other people or professionals. Sacrificing to help our loved ones is a selfless act, but letting others help us doesn’t mean weakness. There are a lot of agencies that offer in-home senior care that are trained and equipped to respond to our loved ones’ needs. 

8 Signs Your Loved One May Need In-home Senior Care 

• Increased Forgetfulness & Wandering

Occasional forgetfulness is normal as we age. As we grow older, so does our brain. Cognitive decline is one of the most common signs that our loved ones need in-home senior care. This is also an early sign of serious conditions like Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. If your loved one has started showing signs like difficulty in doing daily routines, getting lost often or trying to go home when already home, forgetting to take regular medications, and becoming restless, pacing, or making repetitive actions. 

• Behavioral Changes

Changes in behavior are normal as we age because we learn to adapt to changes in our environment. However, as our loved ones enter their senior years, we have to watch out for excessive behavioral changes that are signs that they need in-home assistance. Watch out for behaviors like aggression, paranoia, being delusional and having hallucinations, and increased depression.

Sundowner’s syndrome is a common sign of Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. This is when your loved one’s mood significantly changes as the sun goes down and they get more confused. 

• Poor Personal Hygiene

Physical appearance and hygiene are some of the easily recognizable signs that your loved one has started to decline. If these have significantly changed, especially if they are always keen on keeping themselves clean and looking their best. If your loved one has stopped doing basic hygiene routines like showering, brushing their teeth and hair, or wearing dirty clothes, it’s time to sit and talk to them about getting extra help at home. 

• Dirty or Unkempt Home

Not having the motivation to clean our homes now and then is normal, especially on busy days. What’s important is that we can go back to our normal routines. 

Most of the time, seniors have the urge to always keep their homes immaculate. Sometimes, they also do this to keep themselves entertained. When you visit, check if their house has become dirtier and smells, dirty dishes are everywhere, their fridge either is empty or has expired food, and they have a lot of unopened and unpaid bills. 

• Demotivation in Daily Life

As we age, our energy decreases which leads to frequent demotivation. For our senior loved ones, getting demotivated is normal. Their bodies are getting older and prone to tiredness. What’s not normal is when they get demotivated every day and not being able to go back to their normal routines. Apathy in older people is common so if you suspect that your loved one is developing one, watch out for signs like consistent fatigue, difficulty in handling usual tasks and simple problem-solving, and difficulty in expressing themselves. 

• Poor Eating Habits

Changes in our eating habits happen as we age. For older folks, their preferences also change over time. It’s common for seniors to become more picky with their food, depending on their situations. 

A significant change in weight is a big sign to watch out for in our older loved ones. This is also one of the easily recognizable signs that they need help. There are a lot of things that can contribute to a significant weight change in seniors like cognitive decline, loss of appetite, forgetting to prepare their food, or injury. Talk to them and offer help as eating is a big part of nutrition. 

• Deteriorating Physical Condition

Changes in physical appearance and capacity are easily noticeable as a person ages. For older people, it’s quite normal for them to slowly lose their muscle strength and flexibility. This is one of the reasons why they would require assistance in doing heavy tasks. However, if you notice sudden changes in their weight or appearance, this may signal something serious like an injury or illness. It’s time to consult with their doctor to see what’s happening. 

• Withdrawal & Isolation

It’s nice to enjoy a peaceful and quiet life, especially for those who are used to enjoying their own company. For older people, they tend to enjoy their own company more. Their home is their safe zone, that’s why they prefer to stay there often. However, they still make time to socialize with their friends and loved ones. If they start withdrawing from the people they love, have difficulty communicating or maintaining relationships with them, or refuse to leave their homes at all, then this might be a problem.  

How to Broach the Topic of In-home Care 

• Be sensitive about the topic. Carefully set the right moment to sit them down and talk to them. They might already feel sensitive about their situation. 
• Discuss the different types of in-home care there are. There are different services that are being offered by different in-home care agencies, depending on your loved one’s needs. It can be for household help, personal care, nursing care, or simply companionship. Start small which involves less personal tasks to get their trust. 
• Emphasize that in-home care will not take away their freedom, rather, it will give them more time to do the things that matter to them more. In-home care also helps everyone in the family, not just them. If everyone is relaxed and has more free time, there are more opportunities to bond. 
• Check with your insurance provider which in-home cares are covered. Get recommendations from your doctor and family. Check their qualifications to know if they match what you need. 

Getting home care is a sensitive topic for older people. Most of the time, they feel like they will burden the people around them and will instead find ways to cope with their situations to avoid bothering their loved ones.

It can also be a case of not wanting strangers into their safe zone or fear of losing their freedom. It’s important to be sensitive about the topic and carefully discuss their options with them. As much as possible, involve them in making decisions so they don’t feel like they are losing control of their lives.