Whether you live with your elderly parent or they live alone, it can be tough to determine when some extra help is needed in the form of home care services to ensure a high quality of life. Here are a few signs to look out for that could mean the time has come to consider investing in home care services for your elderly parent:
Meals Are Not Being Prepared
One sign that your parent may need some extra help throughout the day is that they are not preparing their meals when and how they should. When living with you, they may enjoy dinner with the entire family. But are they skipping breakfast or eating just crackers for lunch because they are not preparing meals for some reason?
If they live alone, you may notice that the food you brought them and packed in their fridge the week before is still sitting uneaten. Missing a meal once in a while or choosing a quick meal like a sandwich sometimes is no reason for alarm. But if your parent seems to be missing meals regularly or refusing to prepare their own meals, it may be time to consider investing in home care services for them.
Laundry and Clutter Is Piling Up
Piled-up laundry and clutter around the house could be another sign that your parent needs some assistance to stay clean, safe, and healthy throughout the day. Of course, if your parent has always been a bit messy, it can be hard to determine when the mess and extra laundry is more than usual. But by paying close attention to when they do laundry and how long it takes for a mess to get cleaned up. If you notice changes that seem to be due to a lack of interest or capability, talk to a home care specialist to see how they can help your parent better manage.
Self-Care Seems to Be Lacking
You likely know your parent better than anyone else, so when self-care starts to lack, it should be noticeable. Is your parent showering as often as they should be? Do they have problems getting dressed or seem to keep the same clothing on for days in a row? Are they showing a lack of interest in things like brushing their teeth and hair? A lack of self-care is a telltale sign that your parent needs some daily help with their basic chores and responsibilities.
Is your knee stiff and painful every morning when you get out of bed? Perhaps, you sometimes feel a grinding sensation in your knee. If you can relate to this frustrating situation, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis. Thankfully, several treatments are available for this joint condition. Sometimes, physicians recommend patients battling osteoarthritis of the knee take a prescription painkiller. Doctors also often encourage patients to lose weight and start a low-impact exercise program. Swimming and walking are both great forms of low-impact exercise. On this blog, I hope you will discover how to effectively and quickly relieve the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Enjoy!