subject: Do I really need In-Home Care? [print this page] Do I really need In-Home Care? Do I really need In-Home Care?
Many elderly seniors opt to stay away from institutionalized lives and live independently in the comfort of their own home; however they fail to realize that because of their diminishing physical and cognitive capabilities, they can no longer do things without assistance. Determining if someone needs in-home care assistance is easier if you know what to look for and the questions to ask. Aging individuals often hide or cover-up the signs and indications that they need personal assistance, because they do not want to lose their independence.You'll need to ask revealing questions and look for patterns of behavior and neglect within these areas:
Daily Routine
Difficulty walking, dressing, talking, eating, cooking, climbing steps, or managing medications by them self.
Bodyweight change, desire for food changes, difficultyeating, exhaustion, burns, bruises, hearing loss, incontinence, spilling or dropping stuff (look for stains), resting too much or too little, dehydration.
Seclusion
Lack of interest in friendships, hobbies, or activities; curtains drawn day and night, no access to transportation.
Attitude
Unhappiness or talk of feelings of depression and despair, exploitation of alcohol or drugs, fear, refusal to converse, abnormal argumentativeness, verbal abuse.
CognitiveCapabilities
Consistentlapse of memoryaboutexactly wherethings are, getting lost walking or driving a car, confusion, loss of common senseskills, issuesaddressingquestions, inability to find the rightword or complete a sentence, repetitive words or phrases, wandering, loss of sense of time or season, failing to remember how to use ordinary things like a pencil, consistently forgetting to turn off stove, close home windows, or lock doorways.
