There are all kinds of issues that can cause elderly adults to struggle with daily tasks. Among the most common are chronic illness, disease, injuries or surgery, poor vision, lack of energy, cognitive decline, grief, anxiety, depression and poor nutrition. Unless you make some improvements, she could be jeopardizing her health and wellness in the one place where she should be safe and secure.
If you are noticing some problem areas, there are plenty of options, like hiring an elderly care provider, making modifications to the home and using more community services. Here are a few clues about how your elderly mother is handling the daily tasks at her house.
How is her hygiene and grooming?
The first thing that you’ll probably notice is whether she struggles with regular bathing, grooming and laundry. If she is not clean and wearing fresh clothing, she may be avoiding the shower for fear of a slip and fall accident. She might not be able to clean herself as well as she’d like, or some cognitive decline may be interfering with her memory of when she last showered. An elderly care provider can assist her in whatever she needs regarding hygiene and grooming.
Is she taking her medication properly?
Lots of seniors take medication, often multiple pills for many different conditions. It can be very easy to confuse days and dosages without a good system. Your mom may be going through pills faster than she should or skipping them altogether. When seniors start to struggle with keeping a schedule or remembering small things like medicine, it may be time for additional help. An elderly care provider can remind the aging adults when and how much medication to take.
Is the house clean and the kitchen stocked?
When seniors have trouble keeping up with housework, they may work extra hard, so their adult children won’t notice. Other elderly adults give up and let things go. Either way, when basic housekeeping tasks become too hard to keep up with, it can be a sure sign that help is needed. Elderly care providers can quickly and efficiently take care of housework and grocery shopping, so your aging mom isn’t burdened by either.
Is she capable of driving safely?
If you notice your mother is having a hard time keeping up around the house, it could mean that driving is also becoming a problem. Ride around with her for a few days and see how she handles the stress of driving. Physical clues like poor vision, poor hearing and arthritis can also create safety issues when driving. An elderly care provider can drive your mom to events, appointments and anywhere else she wants to go.
If you see the evidence that your aging mother is struggling to take care of herself, consider hiring an elderly care provider, so she can stay home and be as independent as possible while staying safe and healthy.
About the authors, Hilary and Greg Eldridge, owners of Home Helpers Home Care of North Atlanta.
Greg and Hilary Eldridge have been the owners and operators of Home Helpers Home Care of North Atlanta since 2012. After having personal experience with loved ones needing in-home care services, they were inspired to become a part of the Home Helpers Home Care team. Hilary has been a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) since 2013 from the Society of Certified Senior Advisors, and Greg is a Certified Senior Advisor. Learn more about our owners and team here!