You know your parents are having a harder time managing their daily lives. Your dad calls you saying he needs someone to drive them to the store. Your mom no longer cooks meals and relies on ramen noodle cups or frozen dinners. When you’re not with them every day, how do you judge how much care is needed?
Stay for an Extended Visit
Depending on where you and your siblings live, you need to have someone stay for an extended visit. If you live nearby, it may be harder than a sibling who lives hours away. You need to talk and have someone stay for a long weekend.
During that weekend, watch what your parents can do or shy away from. If you go out, have your mom and dad drive. Did they struggle with lane changes, brake at the last minute, or come too close to obstacles? Do they cook meals or suggest a restaurant each night?
Is the house clean or messy? Do you notice problems with lighting, loose railings, or worn flooring? Have you noticed your parents stumbling or having a hard time getting around? Are they taking medications on time? How is their health?
Find time to go through their bills and mail. Is it organized or piling up? Are there any late notices or disconnection notices? If your parents haven’t been paying bills, you need to make sure they have the money to pay them. Ask them to sit down with you and go through their bank statements while you look for signs of fraud or identity theft.
When someone spends more than a few hours with your parents, you’ll get a better picture of things that need addressing. It gives you a good idea into what elderly care services would be helpful at this stage.
Stop by Unannounced
If you give your parents notice for an extended visit, they have time to plan and get the house in order. You need to pair those longer visits with an unannounced visit. Some clutter is normal and shouldn’t be a concern.
You want to look for a week’s worth of dishes that haven’t been touched. See if laundry has piled up past a week’s worth of dirty clothing, towels, and linens. See if the counters are covered in grime or are being kept clean.
Once you know the care services that will help them, call an elderly care agency. Make sure they have the chance to ask questions and learn more about the elderly care services available to them. They may decide to have more services than originally planned.
If you are considering elderly care in Katy, TX, for an aging loved one, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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