Three Signs Your Parents Need More Help

Everyone ages and everyone ages differently. Often aging is gradual and it can be hard to distinguish to what extent it is affecting the life of a loved one. At some point the physical, mental, and emotional changes make living alone dangerous and it is necessary to get some extra help. When is it appropriate to start looking for those care options? At Encompass we look for several signs. Here are three:

• Having trouble managing and cleaning the household. Maybe your mother always kept the living room immaculate until recently. Changes in cleaning habits may indicate that it is becoming physically difficult for your loved one to maintain their home.
• Making payments to unfamiliar companies. Confusion and forgetfulness are hard to pinpoint. Often detail-orientated tasks like finances are the first things to become difficult with an aging memory. Transactions that seem odd may signal that your loved one is struggling with memory loss.
• Lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed. Loss of interest in enjoyable activities is a typical signal of depression. Depression can be associated with aging but sometimes it is simply an overlap in symptoms. Feeling tired, frustrated, or sad could come from a physical pain (like a sore back) or new strain (such as worsened eyesight.)

It can be hard to judge when concern about your loved ones aging necessitates action. At Encompass, we can help assess an individuals particular needs so that they can live their next stage of life fully, comfortably, and safely.

For more signs see http://careconversations.org/Care_Needs/Early_Signs.aspx or contact us at Encompass to discuss your particular situation.