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30 Signs That Your Loved One May Need A Caregiver

Article submitted by Rebecca Sharp Colmer, Me & My Caregivers – 800-530-9129
www.MeAndMyCaregivers.com

There are approximately 37 million people over the age of 65 and 5.3 million people over the age of 85. Each year millions of older people start requiring some sort of assistance to carry out their routine daily activities. Family members (family caregivers) provide most of the help.

It is not always easy to know when to intervene. It may seem like your loved one is in a gray area somewhere between competency and incompetence. Your loved one can have a behavior that is not life threatening but still very serious. Making an assessment is the very step. Here are some clues that your loved one may need some extra help:

  1. Disheveled clothes
  2. Stained or dirty clothes The same outfit worn everyday
  3. Unkempt hair
  4. Poor hygiene
  5. Bad breath
  6. Body odor
  7. Having trouble walking
  8. Having trouble sleeping
  9. Dangerous driving
  10. Extreme clutter in the home
  11. Can't do light housekeeping
  12. Items not returned to drawers or cupboards
  13. Clothes strewn about or left on floor
  14. Medication bottles left open
  15. Medications taken out of original containers and mixed up
  16. Not much food in house
  17. Spoiled or rotten food
  18. Unpaid bills
  19. Penalties for overdue bills
  20. Unopened mail
  21. Put on or lost a lot of weight that is unexplained
  22. Signs of confusion
  23. Signs of forgetfulness
  24. Signs of isolation
  25. Signs of depression
  26. Drastic mood swings
  27. Extreme sadness or loneliness
  28. Loss of interest in favorite hobby
  29. Stopped doing things they used to enjoy like gardening, reading, going to church, seeing friends
  30. Can't cope with everyday stress

Even if you determine that your loved one needs some assistance, keep in mind that they may be resistant to your help. Be gentle and compassionate when asking them to accept help. It may take several tries before they start to accept your help. There is a big difference in offering help and completely taking away all of their independence.

However, if your parent's life is in danger and you can't find a way to intervene, call Adult Protective Services, which is a part of the Department of Social Services. They will send a nurse or social worker to your parent's home to determine the risks and find ways to protect your parent.

The caregiver role is complex and differs for everyone depending on the needs of the care-receiver. Many times, in the beginning, there may only be a few needs, such as providing transportation or helping with shopping or cooking. Over time, needs increase, requiring additional services, until the care-receiver is fully dependent on the caregiver.

More about Me and My Caregivers
Me and My Caregivers helps family caregivers and their loved ones with exclusive products and the Senior’s Guide book series. They offer an affordable, easy-to-use, safe and secure subscription-based web service that uses the Internet to connect family, friends and healthcare providers to your loved one. Visit their website for more information about their online subscriptions, caregiver resources, caregiver organizer and Senior’s Guide book series.
Websites: www.MeAndMyCaregivers.com     www.theseniorsguide.com

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