Tips for Caregivers

How to Tell When It's Time for Professional Home Health Care

As they grow older, most people want to continue living independently in their own homes. They want to remain self-sufficient in their familiar surroundings. That's certainly expected and natural. But all too often the very fact of aging affects people's ability to care for themselves and manage their daily living, and this creates health and safety concerns. Many adult children become their parents' primary caregivers, taking on all the responsibilities that go with keeping up the quality of their parents' lives. When caring for themselves becomes progressively too difficult, or when the responsibilities of the adult children become overwhelming, it is time for both seniors and their families to consider professional home health care.

Here Are 20 Signs That Signal the Need for Professional Home Health Care:

Inability to manage personal care:


1. The person does not bathe, groom, and perform oral hygiene.
   
   
2. The person does not dress appropriately.
   
   
3. He or she becomes incontinent and is unable to cleanse properly.
   
   
4. The person forgets to eat, does not eat nutritious meals, and loses weight.
   
   
5. He or she forgets to take medication, is confused about what to take and when, or is unable to administer injections or change bandages.
   
   
Inability to manage functional activities of daily living:


6. The person doesn't do laundry, or doesn't change his or her clothes or linen.
   
   
7. He or she lets dirty dishes and garbage pile up.
   
   
8. The person leaves the stove and other appliances on, creating a safety hazard.
   
   
9. He or she is unable to do grocery shopping.
   
   
10. He or she is unable to use the telephone.
    
    
11. The person doesn't pay bills or manage money properly.
    
    
Change in emotional, mental or physical condition:


12. The person has difficulty understanding others.
    
    
13. The person has difficulty remembering names, situations, and locations.
    
    
14. He or she gets lost easily.
    
    
15. The person starts to wander.
    
    
16. The person has sudden mood swings, becoming angry or depressed.
    
    
17. He or she falls down often.
    
    
18. He or she becomes isolated, cutting off social contacts.
    
    
19. The person is incapable of making decisions.
    
    
20. He or she suffers a stroke, loss of limb, or other major physical impairment.