Knowing When To Get Help - Part 2
We discussed the first 5 indicators for knowing when to get help. As if that wasn’t enough, there are 5 more. Of course you or your loved one may only experience one of these symptoms or more. Even one indicator can be the reason for getting help.
1. Socialization:
Do you or your loved one have moods of loneliness, despair, depression, frustration, irritability, or anxiety? Is there fear or insecurity about going out of the house?
2. Mental Health:
Are there memory lapses? Is there difficulty finding the right words? Is there inconsistency between words and action? Is anxiety or moodiness evident?
3. Medication:
Are medications being taken regularly and on time? Are medications being refilled on schedule? Does the senior understand what the medications are being taken for?
4. Finances, Mail, Paperwork:
Is the senior having difficulty managing their checkbook, finances, bills and personal affairs? Are there past due notices arriving? Is mail piling up? Is there a reasonable amount of cash on hand? Are important documents or similar items like purses, wallets and keys being misplaced frequently or for long periods of time? Are they appearing in unusual places?
5. Safety, Security and Sanitation:
Are appliances being left on such as the stove or coffee pot? Does the senior fall asleep with cigarettes burning? Is the house allowed to get too hot or too cold? Is the house always unlocked? Has the senior fallen in the past 6 months? Have there been multiple falls? Is there clutter on the floor? Is trash piling up in or around the house? Are toilets functioning properly? Is pet debris evident?
Try to keep your efforts to help as informal as possible. Rather than going through the house like an inspector with a checklist, make your observations through normal, casual interaction. Make a mental note when you see things that are of concern. Keep conversation non-threatening and cooperative. Make every effort to respect the senior’s wishes while assisting with their needs.
(C) Copyright 2007 Sheila Korn
Call Seniors at Home, Inc for a free in home assessment.
619-291-4663
www.seniors-at-home.net
sheila@seniors-at-home.net
Sheila Korn is the Director and President of Seniors At Home, Inc. Sheila is in charge of all the people who are at Seniors at Home, Inc. This includes overseeing all client activities and the staff. She makes sure that everything is okay with the care plans and programs. Sheila is always happy to answer any of your questions. She is a Certified Senior Advisor. She has taken the educational initiative to become a professional leader in meeting the key needs and issues concerning mature adults.
As a Certified Senior Advisor and President of Seniors At Home, she personally meets every client and assess each family’s needs.
Sheila Korn is a member of The Senior’s Choice Network. The Senior’s Choice is the largest membership organization in the homecare industry with over 200 members in the US and Canada. The Senior’s Choice is the oldest homecare membership organization founded in 1998.
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