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Signs to Look for When Visiting Elderly Loved Ones During the Holidays
Lisa Reisman • Aug 28, 2019
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Signs to Look for When Visiting Elderly Loved Ones During the Holidays
The holidays tend to bring family and friends together more than ever. While you’re enjoying the company and festivities, be sure to look out for any signs that the seniors in your life may need assistance. Below are four indicators that it may be time to consider an in-home caregiver.
1. Changes in Daily Appearance
Physical changes are often times the easiest to spot. Perhaps your mother’s clothes are usually in pristine condition but recently you’ve noticed her wearing wrinkled or dirty garments. Maybe your father has failed to properly maintain his hygiene lately? Does his hair or facial hair look a little longer and greasier than normal? By spotting these noticeable changes in appearance, you’re able to create a discussion and assess what the need may be.
2. Not Taking Medications
When seniors are prescribed medication, it’s important for them to be fully aware of the dosage amount, as well as when it should be taken. Some may be refusing the prescribed medication while others might have simply forgotten to take it. In either case, it is important for them to be provided assistance. An in-home caregiver can help by ensuring seniors take their medication as directed. If you notice the senior in your life has been missing medication dosages, action should be taken immediately.
3. Frequently Repeating Questions
The holidays prompt lots of new conversations since family and friends may not have seen each other in a long time. It’s understandable for elders to forget things on occasion, but if they are frequently asking the same questions over and over, it may be a cause for concern. Forgetfulness is a key indicator of onset dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and should be assessed as soon as it’s noticed.
4. Depression Resulting from Loneliness and Isolation
If you notice your loved one is a little less enthusiastic than usual, or has been feeling down lately they could be dealing with depression. There are many possible causes of depression, one of them being loneliness. As seniors age they are more likely to lose family members, spouses or close friends, leaving them more susceptible to loneliness. As they lose their ability to drive, they often lose out on socializing with friends or even the grocery store clerk. Activities they once enjoyed around the town may no longer be an option for them, leading to feelings of isolation.
Social isolation can affect both physical and mental health. Social isolation and loneliness can lead to quicker cognitive decline
and a higher risk in mortality in adults who are 52 years or older. A senior who does not get up or out to socialize will have a higher risk for high blood pressure, arthritis and impaired mobility. If your senior has been showing signs of social isolation or loneliness, an in-home caregiver can prove to be valuable not only for their care, but also for their companionship. An in-home caregiver can talk with your elderly loved one throughout the day, take them to buy groceries, or walk with them around the block. These caregivers can help provide the necessary daily social interaction and motivate physical activities throughout the day to keep your senior healthy, happy and social.
As the holidays approach, be sure to take these four warning signs into account when interacting with the seniors in your life. By noticing them early, you’ll be in a better position to determine whether or not an in-home caregiver is appropriate for your loved one.
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No matter what age, we all have moments of confusion. But when your elderly loved one is consistently exhibiting these signs, it might be because s/he is undergoing cognitive impairment. Having difficulty comprehending is a common sign these problems; however, it is often brushed aside as "old age." The person experiencing these difficulties may make excuses: the TV shows today are too complicated, their family members talk too fast, the lights are too dim to read. Ignoring the signs of comprehension difficulties, though, just make life harder for everyone involved. Comprehension and Confusion Comprehension is the opposite of confusion. Comprehension is a complex process in the brain through a system of nerves and chemicals, and it involves language, recognition, and function processes. Cognitive impairment disorders like dementia and Alzheimer's disrupt those complex processes. It can manifest as sudden memory loss, impaired motor coordination, and other more subtle thought processes that we will discuss. When someone has difficulty with comprehension, s/he has trouble putting together the various actions needed to perform a task. For example, your mom might need a cup from the cupboard. In order to do so, she must first decide she wants the cup. Then she might need to get out of her chair, walk across the kitchen, raise her hand, open the cupboard, and take the cup out of the cupboard. If she has difficulty with comprehension, she will have a hard time putting all of these elements to work to achieve her goal, which might result in several different outcomes: she could fall, break the cup, or just forget what she was doing before she reaches the cupboard. She knows what she wants to do but has trouble making all the connections necessary to get there. How Cognitive Impairment Affects Your Loved One Difficulty comprehending is frustrating for your elderly loved one and for you, but the first step toward helping your loved one is understanding what s/he is experiencing. Here are some examples of how someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease might have trouble comprehending everyday situations. TV/books: Someone with dementia might not be able to follow a basic storyline and could not tell somebody else what is going on in the TV show or book. Social situations: Someone with dementia might see two children playing and interpret that they are fighting or vice versa. The person with dementia may step in and try to resolve the situation without realizing what is actually happening. Conversations: As with the TV/book example, someone with dementia can't follow an everyday conversation . S/he doesn't know who or what is being discussed and especially cannot tell when the subject matter has changed. Time: Someone with trouble comprehending will have difficulty telling time and might not know whether it is day or night. How Cognitive Impairment Affects You Because of these comprehension difficulties, the person experiencing dementia or Alzheimer's disease will rely on the people around him/her to tell him/her what is going on. For instance, your loved one may constantly ask you to repeat yourself. S/he may also have trouble following instructions. These situations can be aggravating for you, particularly if they are new, however it is important to understand that your loved one is not trying to bother you by failing to follow directions or asking you to repeat information over and over. These are symptoms of cognitive impairment , and neither you nor they can control it. If your family member begins to exhibit any of these signs, take him or her to your physician with a description of the comprehension difficulties you've noticed so that s/he has plenty of information for a cognitive function assessment. If the doctor diagnoses dementia or Alzheimer's, ask specific questions about treatment so that you can do your part to serve your loved one despite mild cognitive impairment. It is important to get help for your loved one, and there is no reason for you to care for your loved one alone. Caring for an aging relative requires time, patience, and expert care. Complete Care At Home can help you create a customized plan to meet the unique needs of your loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Contact us today for an expert assessment.
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