I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to spending the holidays with my family this year! I missed some of the special seniors in my life last year out of an abundance of caution, but as of now, it seems we are all poised to exchange gifts and share a holiday meal together! Hallelujah!
I rejoice over the reason for the season, and I relish the opportunity to spend time with my senior loved ones to see how they are really doing. After all, a voice on the other end of a phone conversation may not tell the whole tale!
The time spent with my special senior loved ones provides me the opportunity to take notice of their senior needs, in case physical, mental, or emotional changes have occurred since our last in-person meeting, and if I visit them, I can see how they are faring with housekeeping and basic homemaking tasks.
Monitoring the well-being of your senior loved ones this holiday season is as easy as noticing visual clues, like their appearance (personal care), their mobility, their home housekeeping; or their level of engagement with others; paying attention to conversations and really listening to the details about their life, health, hobbies, social engagement, or lack thereof; and assessing their cognitive functions.
Barbara Stepko with AARP explains, “Sometimes an older adult's need for additional help is obvious. It could be that he or she is having a hard time getting to appointments, seems confused by instructions or perhaps isn't paying bills on time. More often, though, the change happens gradually. A family member or caregiver also has an opportunity to evaluate how a loved one is doing in terms of health, safety and quality of life.”
“The goal,” says Ardeshir Hashmi, M.D., section chief of the Center for Geriatric Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, “is to pick up clues early, before they start to impact day-to-day life a significant way, so we can do something about them.”
When You Notice a Senior with Needs
It’s important to routinely monitor the health and well-being of your senior relatives and neighbors. Whether it is a visit, a phone call, a text or a video chat, make sure your senior loved one has a positive attitude, is staying engaged, and can remain healthy and independent at home.
If you notice any clues that your senior loved one has a need for in-home care services of any kind, Home Helpers® is here to lend a hand with highly-trained, compassionate caregivers. I am available for a FREE Consultation to assess specific needs and create an individual care plan to begin making life easier for you and your senior loved one.
Home Helpers® proudly serves male and female seniors in Beecher, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Dwight, Frankfort, Kankakee, Manteno, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Tinley Park, Watseka, Wilmington and surrounding areas. Contact me today to learn more about the many services offered through Home Helpers® - We are Making Life Easier℠ for you and yours! 815.427.4238