Understanding When it’s Time to Request For Assistance in Home Care
Whether a person is elderly or disabled, it can be challenging to identify when to ask for help. Societally, it imparted to us that seeking help is a sign of weakness and a root for shame. Unfortunately, nothing could be further than the veracity. If one of your friends or loved ones faces a struggle due to oldness or disability, sure telltale signs can help indicate when to get help from in-home care.
Common Signs That It’s Time to Ask for Assistance
When an elderly or disabled friend or loved one needs support, the signs may manifest differently. Some signs are big-picture issues that will be noticeable to friends and family, regardless of distance or relationship. Keep an eye out for the following:
Close Calls or New Difficulties
If your elderly or disabled loved one has been living alone, they have likely been relatively self-reliant. However, it is likely time to seek support if your loved one has lately begun having new difficulties or distress from close calls, like falls, medical scares, or even car accidents.
When an elderly or disabled person lives all alone, these close calls can transpire repeatedly. When they do, it is practical to hire a reliable caregiver to safeguard that somebody is there to respond to falls or other mishaps.
Chronic Health Conditions or Worsening Health
Progressive issues like dementia, congestive heart failure, and COPD can result in a marked, rapid decline of a loved one. Generally, these issues mean that it is time to ask for support from a trained caregiver or transfer the person to an assisted living facility.
Difficulty Recovering
In elderly or disabled people, common illnesses like colds or the flu can produce serious health issues. If an elderly or disabled loved one has recently undergone a common illness but has trouble recuperating, consider seeking help. This is especially true if your loved one was unable or unwilling to get the Help he or she needed during the illness, which caused the illness to become much more severe.
Difficulty With Activities of Daily Living
The activities of daily living (ADL’s) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL’s) are the skills an adult needs to live self-reliantly – without the care of a relative or caregiver. These skills include dressing oneself, cooking, driving, shopping, using the bathroom, bathing, doing laundry, taking medications, and cleaning.
Unfortunately, age or disability often rob people of these abilities and make it increasingly challenging for them to live alone. Luckily, if a loved one is having trouble with ADL’s or IADL’S, bringing in-home help into the picture can often restore some independence and help the person live a better life.
Social Signs That It’s Time to Ask for Help
Often, when an elderly or disabled person begins to decline, it will become evident through their social dealings, or lack thereof. To know if your friend or loved one needs help, keep an eye out for these essential social warning signs:
Lack of Friendships
Age and disability make it easy to become isolated, and a person who no longer keeps close companions or pursues acquaintances may very well be declining. A lack of on-the-go companies is a sign of depressive symptoms and may indicate that it is time to seek in-home support or change scenery for your friend or loved one.
Refusal to Leave the Home
When an elderly or disabled person is troubled to drive and unenthusiastic to take public transportation alone, they often begin to go days without leaving their home. Often, these persons benefit from hiring in-home support, which may help them recuperate their movement and continue regular outings.
No Activities or Interests
If your friend or loved one has abandoned happenings and interests, it is time to call for help. Separation is usually associated with depressive symptoms, and acting swiftly is the best way to prevent your loved one from becoming further depressed and secluded.
Physical Signs That it’s Time to ask for Help
An elderly or disabled person who is declining will display noticeable physical signs that indicate in-home support is needed. For instance, any of the following signs warrant a call for assistance:
Weight Loss
If your friend or loved one feels thinner, there’s a good chance something is wrong. Physical conditions ranging from tumors to depression can cause weight loss, as can declining motor skills that may result in a loss of cooking or shopping capability.
Moreover, some elderly or disabled people may not remember how to cook or eat. In these circumstances, it is wise to safeguard there is food in the house and spend some time watching the person make a meal for him or herself. In any event, drastic weight loss is a valid reason to call an in-home caregiver.
Weight Gain
Like weight loss, rapid and drastic weight gain can indicate serious health issues like diabetes. Moreover, weight gain may show that a person has financial dilemmas and subsists on cheap, processed foods rather than healthy fare. Watch meal prep and call for help if you notice that the person forgets having eaten or binge eating all day long.
Infirmity
If you notice that your friend or loved one has difficulty finishing simple tasks like removing shoes, opening drawers, sweeping, or getting out of a chair, it is time to call for help. As people age, they generally become frailer, struggling to complete everyday activities.
Untidy Appearance
It is generally possible to tell a lot from a person’s appearance. If you notice that your naturally well-kept loved one is wearing damaged, sloppy, or torn clothing or that hair and makeup are unusually different or messy, consider asking for help. These signs usually indicate that the person has lost strength, agility, or memory and are a valid reason to call for an in-home caregiver. Elderly or disabled people often need help dressing, shaving, and fixing their hair, and an in-home caregiver can help them meet those needs.
The Case for In-Home Help
Apprehending that a friend or loved one needs help is never an easy experience. Seeing a person decline is challenging, and it is made worse because they often need help; we are unqualified to give. In these cases, the most significant thing you can do is notice signs that show physical or mental deficits and take it upon yourself to secure help for your friend or loved one.
Often, elderly or disabled people are uncomfortable asking for help and see it as a sign that they are becoming infantile or incapable. Convince the person that this is not true, that there is nothing to be ashamed about, and that extra help can help them preserve the quality of their life rather than subtracting from it. Although it can be challenging, seeking help is never anything to be ashamed about. On the contrary, in-home caregiving can often preserve, extend and boost a person’s quality of life for many years.
Loyal Healthcare is a high-quality provider of non-medical home health care. Our Mission is to help people maintain their safety, independence, and dignity in an environment of mutual respect and compassion. We want them to feel safe, happy, and comfortable at all times. If you want to hire one of our caregivers in Jackson, Mississippi, you may contact us at (601) 253-3291.