Here are five signs that indicate it might be time to get professional help for your elderly loved one. For more info visit http://www.brightstarcare.com/.

1. 5 Signs Your Grandparents Can’t Take
Care of Themselves

2. When an elderly loved one is no
longer able to care for him or herself,
the burden often falls on the family.
An aging parent or grandparent will
not always ask for additional help, and
so it is up to family members to
recognize that loved ones need
assistance.

3. “ We can’t always rely on our elderly loved ones to communicate
their concerns with us,” says Sharon Roth Maguire, geriatric
nurse practitioner and Senior Vice President of Quality and
Clinical Operations for BrightStar Care®. “There are signs that
will help you recognize when a family member needs a little
more help and in-care assistance can often ease the burden.
”
Maguire says these five signs indicate it might be time to get
professional help for your elderly loved one:

4. 1 Confusion Over Medications:
As family members age, memory loss should be considered a red flag.
Your loved ones confusion over daily tasks, especially medication
management should be a cause for concern. If a grandparent or parent
is forgetting to take medications or taking double doses, it may be time
to consider an in-home nurse. This is one of the most important signs to
look for as medication mismanagement can contribute to worsening
confusion and a host of other concerning health outcomes including full
blown medical crises.

5. 2 No Longer Able to Drive:
Physical and mental decline might prohibit loved ones from doing the
things they normally do, including driving a car. If your loved one is
missing doctor’s appointments or unable to make it to family occasions,
this might be a sign they are in need of extra care.

6. 3 Inability to Manage Finances:
Maintaining finances are difficult enough as it is, and when aging family
members are unable to take care of their financial obligations there can
be repercussions. If you notice large piles of unsorted mail, bills piling
up, or debt collectors leaving messages, it may be time to consider an
in-home nurse who can evaluate your loved one’s cognitive status and
medication regimen to see if there are any health related concerns that
may be interfering with their ability to manage their own finances.

7. 4 The House is a Mess:
Physical challenges, pain, or depression may limit ability to clean and
organize, and this will be apparent when your loved one can’t maintain
a tidy home. Dishes in the sink, spoiled food in the refrigerator, piles of
dirty laundry and extreme clutter might be a sign it’s time to think
about getting professional help.

8. 5 Infrequent bathing:
If you notice your loved one has not been bathing
or showering as often as usual, it might be because
of physical hardship, depression, or memory loss. This is a sign that your
family member needs a little extra help with daily tasks, and in-home
assistance could be the solution.

9. We understand that this is a sensitive topic, as are many other
caregiving issues. For more information on various family caregiver
subject matter, click here.
Or, if you’re just starting the search for homecare, download BrightStar’s
Homecare Buyer’s Guide for key for key considerations and questions to
ask as you interview agencies.

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