NURSING
HOME SITE
- ADULT RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES SITE
Signs
That A Senior Needs Help
How
to tell when the elderly need assistance to stay safe and comfortable
at home.
What
today’s seniors want most is to age in place. What they fear most
is to lose their independence. But what they’re least likely to
ask for is the kind of help that will keep them comfortable and
safe at home. That’s why it’s often up to the adult children of
aging parents to look for the signs that their elderly loved one
needs help at home.
Neglecting
those signs will likely lead seniors to the kind of dependence that
most would like to avoid. "Seniors often don’t recognize when
they require help," said Jim Madison, owner of the Home Instead
Senior Care office serving the counties of Grand Traverse, Leelanau,
Benzie, Kalkaska, Manistee, Wexford and Missaukee. "That’s
why adult children should identify where their loved ones need assistance.
Home Instead Senior Care has made this process easier by providing
a list of simple, look-and-see signs that adult children can use
to identify the types of services their loved ones might need. Providing
seniors assistance with a few basic tasks – such as meal preparation,
light housework, companionship and medication reminders – often
means the difference between whether they stay at home or go to
a facility. And that kind of independence is very important to seniors’
overall happiness."
The
latest report in the AARP’s Beyond 50 series confirmed that seniors’
number one fear is loss of independence. "The vast majority
of people 50 and older do not require long-term assistance at any
given time. However, most people will require assistance at some
point in their lives, and most families will face these issues with
their older family members," according to the report.
Seniors’
expectations for remaining at home are high. In a survey conducted
late last year by Home Instead Senior Care, 83 percent of seniors
surveyed said they are very or somewhat likely to remain in their
homes rather than move to a care facility. Home Instead Senior Care,
the largest provider of non-medical home care and companionship
for the elderly in the U.S., sends CAREGivers to seniors to help
keep them independent and at home for as long as possible.
"Most
people, in general, want to live at home or independently in a retirement
community," said Mary Hujer RN, MSN, geriatric clinical nurse
specialist for the Cleveland Clinic. "Who wants to lose their
independence? The best approach to staying self-sufficient is to
plan ahead and accept help when necessary." Hujer explained
that some concerns of aging, which jeopardize independence, could
include isolation, weight loss, safety and transportation.
"First,
research shows that routine socialization is one of the key aspects
of successful aging so it’s important for seniors to find social
activities," she said.
"Second, poor nutrition that leads to weight loss can be caused
by multiple factors, some of which may be social. Up to one-third
of patients I see experience some weight loss at one time or another,"
she added.
"Third,
safety becomes a real concern for seniors who are suffering illness
or mobility problems. To prevent falls, consider putting grab bars
in bathrooms, placing bright yellow tape strips on stairs or painting
the toilet seat yellow," she said.
"Finally,
transportation is a big challenge for those seniors who are forced
to give up their keys. Communities can offer the best programs in
the world, but if you can’t get the individual there, what good
are they?" Hujer said.
Oftentimes,
seniors are reluctant to seek outside help because they want to
keep doing things the way they always have. "Dementia, which
includes Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive problems, may impair
seniors’ judgment as well as their memory," Hujer said. "That’s
when, with an older adult’s input, a caregiver can intervene to
promote a safe environment and help ensure quality of life."
"By
helping adult children identify the types of resources that a senior
might need to remain independent at home, we hope that families
can avoid some of the stress that goes with caring for an aging
loved one," Madison said.
10
Look-and-See Signs of Aging
1.
Look in refrigerator, freezer and drawers. Has food spoiled because
mom can’t get to the grocery store? Does she have difficulty cleaning
tight, cluttered places?
2.
Look over the grocery list. Has your loved one’s declining health
prompted her to purchase more convenience and junk foods, and neglect
proper nutrition? Is she losing weight?
3.
Look on top of furniture and countertops. Are dust and dirt signs
that household tasks are becoming more difficult for your parents?
4.
Look up at fans and ceilings. Has the inability to lift her arms
and climb stepstools prevented your loved one from cleaning soot
and grime from high places? Caution your senior not to climb.
5.
Look down at floors and stairways. Have shaky hands spilled drinks
and food, soiling vinyl, wood, carpets and walkways? Are frayed
carpets, throw rugs, objects and furniture creating tripping hazards?
Does dad’s bad knee put him at greater risk on cracked sidewalks
and with broken stair rails?
6.
Look under beds and sofas. Is your senior having difficulty organizing
old newspapers, books and magazines, which are creating a fire hazard?
7.
Look through the mail. Is mom’s dementia causing her to forget to
pay bills and answer correspondence?
8.
Look below bathroom and kitchen sinks. Is poor eyesight making it
difficult for your elderly relative to read medication labels and
to properly store cleaning materials? Is he forgetting to refill
medications and to take them on schedule? Check the refill date
against the number of pills in the bottle to help determine if your
loved one is taking medication regularly. Or call the pharmacy.
9.
Look at your senior’s appearance. Is clothing dirty and unkempt,
and is your loved one neglecting personal hygiene?
10.
Look to your parents’ neighbors and other close friends to find
out about their daily routine. Are your seniors at home more, watching
television and avoiding stimulating conversation and companionship?
For more information about Home
Instead Senior Care, contact Jim Madison or Ann Madison at (231)
938-3001 or visit the company’s Web site at www.homeinstead.com
