If you have an aging parent, there’s a good chance that you’ve been through this before: one day, you’re helping them across the street; the next, they can barely walk without assistance. How do you tell your parent that he or she needs help and start to provide it? It’s difficult to know whether your aging parent needs help, and it can be even more difficult to tell them that they need it in the first place.
Our parents have raised us and may sometimes have unrealistic expectations of their abilities as they age. It’s hard to tell them that they need help with day-to-day tasks or with medical issues, but sometimes you have to do what’s best for them, regardless of how hard it may be to hear or accept the news. Find out how you can tell your elderly parent that they need help with daily tasks around the house or at work by reading this article.
Mood Swings Or Sudden Mood Changes
Extreme mood and emotions can be a warning sign of memory problems. If your parent suddenly becomes forgetful, depressed, anxious, or angry, it might be time to get them help. Memory loss is frequently an early indicator of dementia. Seniors experiencing these issues often fear that they’re just getting older and forgetting things — but memory loss could also be linked to early stages of dementia or other medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, or stroke. You should talk with your aging parent about their new symptoms and do what you can to help them feel secure and supported, so they won’t worry that they need more help than they do.
A Dirty, Cluttered, Or Disorganized House
A big sign that your elderly loved one needs help is if his or her home has become too disorganized to live in. Are there piles of mail on every flat surface? Boxes and storage bins everywhere? Is the stove covered with old food? The refrigerator held together with tape? These are all signs that it’s time to step in. The first thing you should do is talk to a professional geriatric care manager about arranging for Impressions Housekeeping and Maintenance, like cleaning and laundry, as well as meal delivery. That will free up your parent’s time so he or she can spend it doing things they enjoy and living their best life.
Uncertainty And Confusion During Familiar Tasks
If your parent is starting to lose touch with reality, it may be because they’re having difficulty performing familiar tasks. If that’s true for your elderly loved one, then you should know about some of these other warning signs, too. Do you find that your loved one needs help taking a bath and doing her hair? Or maybe she gets easily confused when out running errands or out at lunch with friends. Confusion and uncertainty when performing familiar tasks can often be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
A Sense of Depression or Lack of Energy
If you’re noticing that your aging parent is depressed or having little to no energy, it might be time to have a frank conversation about whether he or she needs help. This can be a sensitive topic, but if your parent is aware that he or she may need more help than they are getting now and isn’t taking steps to fix things, it’s important that you broach it with them. You want to handle these discussions carefully and sensitively; don’t make accusations. Be honest with your parent and express how you feel while also making sure they know they can talk with you about anything going on in their life even if it is embarrassing.
