Can Your Senior’s Behaviors Let You Know What’s Happening?

When you’re paying close attention to some of the details of your elderly family member’s life and habits, you can sometimes narrow down when she might be having some trouble. These are just a few of the habits and behaviors to watch.

Keeping Up with Household Tasks Is More Difficult

It’s not always obvious when your senior’s housekeeping habits have changed. You may find that you’re noticing small details, though. Perhaps there’s dust around when there never was before. Or maybe you can see that her floors are dirty and that has never been the norm for her. Clutter, dirt, and other signs of disarray are something to pay attention to.

She Doesn’t Seem to Be Eating Well

You might not be there for every meal, but you might notice more about your senior’s eating habits in other ways. For instance, if she’s losing weight and she wasn’t trying to do that, you might need to look deeper. If you’re not seeing much food in her home or if she never mentions going to the grocery store anymore, those can also be signs.

Her Social Life Has Slowed Way Down

If your elderly family member used to have an active social life, but now she doesn’t, there could be a reason. Ask her about people that she used to meet up with and activities that she used to do. There may be some important reasons that she’s no longer doing those activities. Driving can be a big reason for your senior to stop socializing as much, for instance.

Mail Is Accumulating

Mail is one of those things that can be a nuisance, especially today when most mail is either junk mail or bills. It can take a lot of energy for your elderly family member to keep up with her mail. Because of that one fact alone, she can start to accumulate a great deal of mail that she just doesn’t want to deal with at all. But if she’s not managing her bills in another way, this can become a big problem.

She’s Missed Some Important Appointments

No matter why it’s happening, missing appointments can be a sign of a deeper issue. Everyone misses an appointment now and again but missing more than one or canceling appointments instead of going can mean that she’s not feeling well enough or healthy enough to deal with the hassle.

Even if your elderly family member only needs a little bit of help now, paying attention to these details can help you to determine when to step in further. Hiring home care providers now can make a big difference later when you’re unsure how to help.

If you are considering home care services in New Albany, OH for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Lantern West Health today at 614-594-7474.