You’ve been wondering if your aging mother or father needs home care assistance at this stage in their life. You might not know very much about elder care, the elderly, the things they struggle with, the health issues they may face, or other topics associated with this, and that’s okay.

Most people don’t. Most Americans in their 40s or 50s have never had to deal with elder care, especially not for themselves and most likely not for a grandparent or aging parent. For those people, their grandparents were probably looked after and supported by their parents, and the grandchildren — even if they were in their 20s, 30s, or 40s at that point — had little interaction or understanding of the process of elder care.

Now, though, it might be your mother or father, a stepparent, an aunt or uncle with whom you have been very close most of your life, but at some point, you are going to know a senior who is facing difficult challenges. A tough road ahead.

So, how will you know if that aging parent or other loved one needs home care assistance at this stage in their life or not, especially if you’ve never gone through this before yourself?

1. They struggle with Activities of Daily Life (ADLs).

These activities of daily life include bathing and toileting, getting dressed, preparing a meal, light housekeeping, doing grocery shopping, and more. If this parent is having a tough time with some of these, if they call you for help more often than not, this is a good sign that home care assistance should be discussed sooner rather than later.

Not all seniors who struggle with various tasks throughout the day need help with ADLs, though. But, if it’s these basic life activities that they are struggling with, that’s a sign it’s time to talk about home care.

2. They call you for help.

If you live relatively close to them, they might call you when they need help. It might be for seemingly innocent things like getting something from the attic, picking something up from the pharmacy when they don’t feel well, and so forth.

That might not indicate the need for home care, but if they’re calling consistently and it’s for basic everyday tasks, that’s a clear sign that in-home care should be talked about.

3. You worry about their safety.

There are many reasons to be concerned about the safety of a loved one. When they reach a certain age, like their 70s or 80s, the strength in their legs is not the same as it was in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. They may not have the same balance while getting out of bed. They may struggle going up and down stairs.

If you find yourself home at night, lying in bed struggling to sleep because you are worried about their safety, that might just be a clear indicator it’s time to talk about home care with them and not wait to discuss it.

4. They are slow to get up and move.

This doesn’t necessarily mean they need home care, but if they are consistently struggling to get up from a chair, go up and down stairs, and get in and out of the car, it’s only a matter of time before they have difficulty getting out of bed or taking a shower.

When they have trouble with those things, then home care assistance will be invaluable for their regular daily lives.

5. They have stopped many activities they once enjoyed.

If you notice your mother or father has ceased to spend time with friends, play golf, pickleball, go to the park, and so forth, things they once enjoyed regularly, you need to find out why. If it’s because they can’t do it, don’t feel safe, or have no way to get there because they no longer drive, then this is a great time to talk about in-home care.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance in West University Place, TX, contact the caring staff at Personal Caregiving Services at 832-564-0338. Providing Care in Houston, Bellaire, West University Place, Katy, and Sugar Land, and the surrounding areas.

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Sid Gerber

Founding Partner at S. Gerber and Associates & Personal Caregiving Services

Sid Gerber is a founding partner of S. Gerber & Associates, a firm representing over 28 years of experience specializing in a broad range of long term care products and services including but not limited to care assessment, planning and management, care coordination, in-home caregiving services, quality assurance monitoring, and the securing of financial independence and asset protection utilizing insurance products from major carriers to pay for long-term care. Mr. Gerber helps family members make difficult long-term care decisions and provides them with the necessary education and resources to plan and manage their long-term health care and financial needs.

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