As children of elderly parents, it can be difficult to witness the progressing age of our lifelong role models. These are the people we have looked up to since birth. Our parents took care of our every need. How can it be that now we are in a position where we must take care of their needs? It is the cycle of life as the young grow old, and the children must care for their parents.
But how do we know that it is time for them to require help?
Elders are Slowing Down: One of the early signs you can easily notice is that the elders are slowing down in their activities. It is no longer easy for them to do things the way they used to. They began to move more slowly and carefully, and they occasionally lose their balance. They try to regain their balance by leaning on items available in the home, such as tables, walls, or any other furniture in their way.
Cluttered Room: With a lack of energy and enthusiasm, their room will be different than it used to be. They find it challenging to maintain the cleanliness around them. This is one of the more obvious examples of elders needing external help.
Falls and Injuries: Falls are a red flag that they are becoming increasingly unsteady and require assistance from a person or a walker. It is also riskier because, at that age, falls will cause more damage to their bones, which may take longer to heal. Even if you are not present with your elders and hear about multiple falls, you must recognise that it is time for them to seek assistance.
Less Focus on Personal Hygiene: Sometimes, they cannot take care of their living spaces, and by not focusing on maintaining their rooms and surroundings, we can understand their need for support by looking at how they groom themselves. They may not dress up appropriately or won’t change based on the weather and their health conditions.
Changes in Eating Habits: It is quite natural that an elder may lose the appetite of a younger, more physically active person. Instead of worrying about real grocery shopping, they may begin to use easily cookable items and adjust to the available items around them.
Less Physical Activity: If the older person were an active individual who enjoyed going out and interacting with others, you would notice that their focus would shift in those areas as they aged because they would no longer be able to do the same types of work.
Finding it Difficult to Remember: Aging affects their memory by preventing them from recalling the past, and they may find it difficult to remember people’s names. Sometimes, an older person may be active and there will not be any of the signs mentioned above, but when you notice that they cannot remember what they said or cannot recollect their memory, you need to understand that they need support.
Changing Moods: This is another easy way to recognise that your elder requires immediate assistance; they will exhibit extreme mood swings in a very normal scenario. They may also show more anger because, inside, they know that they cannot perform the task the way they have done it earlier. Any negative remarks about them will also impact them much more badly than earlier.
Loss of Interest in Hobbies: You can also notice that they have lost or are not showing interest in their hobbies, which were their lives earlier. Now they are no longer interested in doing that or showing less interest in talking about it.
Apart from the list mentioned above, you can also notice that they require your support when they show confusion about performing the familiar task, feel depressed or want to stay alone, keep forgetting things like keys, wallets, mobile phones, etc., miss important reminders or appointments, lack medication management, or have trouble getting up from where they are seated.
As children, it is time to showcase your best care interest for the one you love. And when you know that you cannot fulfil your needs, always look for the best-assisted living service centre
that will take care of each of your needs in the best possible way. Sometimes your elders need help from a professionally trained team, which is possible only through an organised centre. If you think an older family member needs help, go through the article to understand how to choose the best-assisted living centres near you and seek help, or you can call us and seek help from our professionals to evaluate your elder’s health condition.
Kancare Senior care is one of the top Assisted living Centres in Ernakulam to provide complete elder care services with the best professional team. Kancare was born out of a noble thought to provide meaningful assisted living support for the aged. Kancare also takes the responsibility to bring awareness among the children to educate them that aging is not a disease and how they can support their elders during this time. Kancare provides the best quality of life to those who are finding it difficult to lead a normal life because of health issues. The atmosphere and the trained staff will make the inmates feel at home in Kancare and give them a positive attitude toward their life.
Click here if you want to know more about the service Kancare Senior Care offers to you.
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