Helpful Ways of Checking Your Elderly Parents are Coping at Home
Striking that delicate balance between keeping an open line of communication with your elderly parent or parents regarding getting older to ensure they are still managing in their own home and not becoming so irritating and even offensive to them that they get annoyed is certainly not easy.
If you are looking for ways to diffuse any possible issues in this area, continue reading to learn of some helpful ways of checking your elderly parents are coping at home, and how to recognize signs that they may not be coping.
Cast an Eye Over Their Home Next Time You Visit
Obviously, if your parents are somewhat bohemian in their life view and tend to enjoy a cluttered and comfortable home, then newspapers piled up in the corner of the room and a few dirty pots in the sink are nothing to worry about.
However, if, like many older people, your parents always used to run a tight ship, and now there seems to be trash accumulating in various rooms; the laundry pile just seems to be getting bigger; there is never more than one clean plate in the kitchen; and the bathrooms are clearly not being tended to, then this could indeed be cause for concern.
Check That They Have Not Lost Weight Rapidly
For many older adults, especially after they have retired, getting fit and physically healthy is made a priority and as such, if your parents are consciously reducing their calorie intake and making healthy meal choices, then a little weight loss is both expected and entirely healthy.
However, if you notice that one or both of your parents seem to have lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time and what is more, cannot easily account for it, this could be a sign that they are forgetting to eat or indeed are losing their motivation to cook for themselves.
Other indications of losing weight could be the fact that their taste buds have reached a point whereby they simply do not detect different tastes like before, they have an underlying illness that needs to be addressed, or they could be suffering from depression and low mood.
Maintaining a healthy weight is important for elderly individuals to prevent falls, improve mobility, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Overall, monitoring weight is a simple yet effective way to promote the health and well-being of elderly individuals.
Make Sure They Are Maintaining Their Personal Hygiene
The third key indicator that your elderly parents may not be coping with living independently in their own home (and may well have not been for a while) is that their standards of personal hygiene seem to be slipping.
Naturally, everyone, regardless of their age, has days whereby they do not bother showering, or else elect to have a “duvet day,” but if they seem not to be bothering or able to bathe and groom, you should click here to learn of some alternatives to help them live their life to the maximum.
Check That Their Bill Payments Are Up to Date
Finally, although a little harder to determine conclusively, another strong indicator that your parents are not handling the daily household maintenance and the running of their home in the same way that they did previously is if their bills are starting to pile up.
Everyone, of any age, can make the mistake of forgetting a certain direct debit is due, for example, but if you notice red letter bills on the kitchen counter, or even if the electricity or gas does not seem to be switched on, this could be an issue to talk over with them further.
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