0 Home Health Care La Jolla - How to Know When It's Time for Eldercare

Growing old is never easy for the person aging, but it isn't easy for
their loved ones who want to help but don't always know the best way to,
either. Even though your parent may have expressed a strong desire to
remain in their own home, there may come a time when - for both their
safety and your emotional well-being - you may have to make some tough
decisions.

 Before you make the choice of how to handle
eldercare for a parent, you should remove any guilt you might feel from
the picture. You wouldn't be making a decision if you didn't want what's
best for your loved one, and sometimes what's best doesn't always fall
into line with what they want to do.

 If you have an aging
parent, there are signs that you need to be aware of that may signal
it's time to intervene with his or her care. First, you might notice
more frequent falls or other injuries - such as she burns herself more
often while cooking.

 Secondly, you'll start to see that your
parent is losing weight. Forgetfulness is a natural part of aging and
sometimes elderly people forget whether or not they've eaten. Many
suffer from extreme malnutrition.

 Third, you might notice your
parent is exhibiting signs of hermit behavior. They don't like to leave
the house at all or they leave as little as possible. They've pulled
back from their usual social outings.

 Fourth, you'll notice
that they become more disorganized. They don't pay the bills and
sometimes might even experience their electricity or other utilities
being turned off for non-payment.

 Fifth, you see that some of
their actions are dangerous to themselves and others. They might leave
the stove on or forget to shut off running water. Kitchen fires can
become a common occurrence.

 Sixth, you'll notice the home is
falling into disrepair both outside and inside. A formerly neat home
becomes dirty and you may notice items beginning to accumulate. The
cleanliness issues can also be with your loved one.

 You see
that they don't bathe or forget to bathe. They may neglect to brush
their hair or to do their laundry. If they have a pet, they may neglect
taking care of the pet or allow it to go to the bathroom inside the home
and not clean it up.

 Seventh, you'll have conversations with
your parent in which they're saying the same thing they've said
repeatedly. They can't remember their doctor's appointments or other
engagements, either.

 When it reaches this point, you have to
make a decision on whether or not your parent can come live with you or
if he or she needs the care of a nursing home. You need to take into
consideration how much your parent can still do for himself.

 Can
he feed or bathe himself? What about bowel movement regularity (some
forget and wind up with major health woes about this issue)? If you move
him into your home, will there be someone there that can handle those
tasks (emotionally as well as physically)?

 You should also
think about the space you have and how it would impact your life and
your family. If your loved one will be left alone because you work and
no one will be home, they need the care of a nursing home - where if
they fall, there will be someone to help.

 If you can bring your
loved one into your home and can afford in home care for them, that
might be an option you'd want to check out. If you can't do it, then you
need to look at the next best option and make a plan for their future.