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Updated 7/12/17 10:34am | It's not always easy to tell when a senior loved one may begin to need some extra help from the family.
While many older adults are capable of living independently well into their golden years, it's best for adult children to be aware of certain signs that can indicate they need more assistance than before.
These are some of the most common signals to look out for that indicate Dad may be in need of a little extra help.
Pay Attention to Changes in Physical Health
Is Dad having difficulty getting around the house? Or maybe he isn’t eating a healthy diet anymore. Here are some signs you need to talk to Dad about his physical health:
- Has he recently had a fall that lead to an injury? A recent fall or injury is a signal that an older adult requires more care than they admit. It’s not easy for Dad to admit he may need extra help, so address your concern for his health. You can provide assistance while he recovers, or help him out with simple tasks that have become more difficult due to an injury.
- Does your parent have difficulty with mobility around the house? This means it’s time to senior-proof Dad’s home. Trouble areas to keep an eye out for are the stairs and the bathroom. Stairs become an obstacle for seniors to go up and down. The same goes for slips and falls when going in and out of the shower. Both can lead to dreadful injuries, so fall proofing ahead of time can make all the difference.
- Poor diet or weight loss. Proper nutrition is vital to the health and independence of all seniors. However not all achieve their needs, and it’s common for a senior’s appetite to decrease over the years. On top of this, many seniors struggle with dining alone and not wanting to cook. You can do your part by helping cook healthy meals for your loved one. Dine with Dad a few times in the week to make sure he is meeting his dietary needs.
Neglecting Household Responsibilities
Your Dad’s lifestyle and the condition of his living space is a good indicator if he may need extra help or not. Inside his home, look for signs that the household is suffering from neglect.
- Are housekeeping tasks becoming too difficult? Excessive clutter may be a good sign of this. As your parent ages, it is natural for him to become weaker and neglect to maintain housekeeping tasks, or simply forget. Help Dad by visiting bi-weekly to do chores and housekeeping tasks. It will take some of the load off him.
- Are utilities being turned off due to missed payments? Look out for late payment invoices, bounced checks, or missed calls from bill collectors. As your senior parent ages, it’s common to forget about simple things like bills.
You can help Dad by becoming the one in charge of bills, and using automatic billing. It’s a simple way to take some duties off his plate.
- Is Dad making forgetful mistakes, such as leaving the stove on? Leaving the stove on is a mistake with some serious and fatal outcomes. An Alert1 Monitored Smoke Detector is a great safeguard that automatically calls for help. Forgetfulness is common as seniors grow older. If you notice this happening, help your parent out. This rule doesn’t just apply to stoves, keep an eye out for other utilities your parent may forget to turn off.
A Medical Alert is the Solution
As much as you want to help Dad, you can’t be there all the time. To ensure your senior loved one is always safe, install an Alert1 medical system in their home.
Here are the ways it will benefit Dad’s lifestyle.
- A medical alert gets Dad immediate help. With just a button press from an alert pendant, it allows your loved one to immediately contact emergency responders when an unexpected accident occurs. With an Alert1 PAX Plus unit, Dad will have the extra protection of fall detection at home and on the go.
- Who helps Dad is customizable. With the Alert1 Circle of Care, your loved one can put you as their first emergency responder. EMS can be expensive, and not all situations require their help. With Alert1’s Circle of Care, you can choose what kind of help, and the order in which it is sent. You can choose to be the first called, a family member, or neighbor. 911 is always on the list in case there is no pick up.
- Medical alerts are cheaper than assisted living. Assisted living is costly, and not necessary for every senior. With the help of a medical alert, your senior parent can safely age in place in their lifelong home. Combined with fall proofing trouble areas in the home, Dad will live safer than ever.
Always Pay Attention to Changes in Your Loved One
If your parent is having more difficulties than usual, it may be time to have an earnest discussion about senior health.
Always look for changes in physical health and differences around the house.These signs can suggest if Dad needs your help or not.
In any circumstance, it’s important to equip your senior parent with the safety of an Alert1 medical alert device so they can live their golden years to the fullest.