How Do I Know When to Start In-Home Care?
Choosing to bring caregivers into your life requires carefully assessing your unique situation, considering your available options and placing your trust in others to provide personalized attention.
At Redeemed In-Home Care, we have the special experience of sourcing quality caregivers for others and having our very own loved ones as the recipients of such care. Having made this decision ourselves, we’re able to see it from your perspective.
How do you know when it’s time to start in-home care? Begin by becoming aware of these signs it may be time.
10 Signs It’s Time to Begin In-Home Care
Struggles With Home Upkeep. A cluttered, dirty home may be a sign that your loved one physically/emotionally has too much to manage on their own. Piles of belongings around the home and an overgrown/unkempt home exterior can present potential safety issues.
Hygiene Issues. Personal hygiene can devolve over time. Pay attention to appearance and body odor. Soiled clothing or piles of clothing could indicate someone is not physically able to do the laundry. Or they may have a memory issue that’s preventing them from completing personal hygiene tasks.
Weight Change. A noticeable change in body weight could mean that someone is struggling physically to prepare their own nutritious meals or could allude to their lack of desire to eat stemming from loneliness or depression.
Problems Driving. Traffic tickets, dents and dings on a vehicle and accidents are all red flags that your loved one’s driving may have become a hazard to themselves and others.
Confusion. Patterns of confused behavior could indicate memory problems or dementia onset. Confusion could also indicate other underlying medical issues or medication mismanagement. Getting lost, forgetting routine tasks and mismanaging finances are all red flags.
Medication Mismanagement, Difficulty Following Physician’s Instructions. This can be a safety issue that presents significant medical and cognitive consequences. Is your loved one following care instructions sent home by their physician? Are they missing medications from their pillbox?
Loneliness. Now more than ever, social isolation is an epidemic among the elderly and can have a profound effect on mental and physical well-being. An in-home caregiver can provide companionship and help facilitate valued relationships for your loved one, leading to an uplifted mood and a renewed sense of purpose. We are all better together.
Falls. Repeated falls are a definite sign that something is wrong. Possible causes of falls could be weakness, worsening of a medical condition, cognitive problems or medication mismanagement. If a caregiver is not present to help minimize falls, this could lead to much more serious problems. Falls are the leading cause of disability for people over the age of 65.
Mobility Issues. Problems with mobility could include walking, as well as challenges in dressing, bathing and transferring from the bed or on and off the toilet.
Missed Appointments. If your loved one is missing scheduled appointments, it could be a memory issue or an organizational one. Either way, it’s important to determine the root cause of missed appointments for the mental and physical health of your loved one.
We know the decision to hire an in-home caregiver is unique to every family. Above all, we want the very best for your loved one, and we want you to have the utmost in confidence in their care. We’d love to schedule a virtual consultation or a phone call to further discuss any questions you may have. Reach out to us here.