Solutions In-Home Care helps seniors discover a higher quality of life with professional help for seniors at home.
“I absolutely do NOT need to move to an assisted living home!” This can be a standard sentiment professed by many older adults, even when they begin to have trouble with managing tasks in the home independently. And who can fault them? Home is where most of us feel secure and safe, and older adults are no exception. At home, they’re familiar with where things are located, plus they enjoy following their own unique routines. They may have friends and family living nearby, who add to their quality of life. Nonetheless, if you’re beginning to feel concerned that a senior loved one’s safety may be compromised, it could be time for you to look into getting them some help for seniors living alone.
The questions listed below, courtesy of Solutions, providers of home care in Benton City, Kennewick, and surrounding areas, will help you determine whether your loved one is as safe as possible, or if perhaps they might benefit from some added help and support at home:
Weight Loss
- Has the elderly person lost weight unintentionally in the past few months?
- Can they handle grocery shopping and planning and preparing nutritious meals?
- Do they practice safety in the kitchen, like remembering to shut off the stove?
- Has the person been complaining about the way food tastes?
- Are they drinking adequate amounts of water along with other fluids throughout each day in order to prevent dehydration, especially during the hotter summer season?
Personal Hygiene
- Is the senior effectively maintaining personal hygiene?
- Can the senior deal with the responsibilities of laundry, bathing, grooming, and using the toilet properly?
Medications
- Does the elderly individual take medications?
- Are they remembering to take the meds specifically when and how they have been prescribed?
- Can the senior read and comprehend medication labels, and understand what each medicine is for?
- Are they physically able to swallow medications, or otherwise take them as prescribed (for example, creams, liquids, crushed or broken pills, etc.)?
Home Safety
- Is the house clear of clutter that could present a tripping and falling risk?
- Could the senior call for help in the event of an accident?
- Are there grab bars in the bathroom, and are handrails on stairways attached securely?
- Is there sufficient light to allow the person to safely get up at night to go to the bathroom or kitchen?
- Have you observed any scrapes, cuts, burns, or bruises that may have been caused by a fall or other unexplained incident?
- Is the kitchen neat and safe for preparing meals?
Cognitive, Emotional, and Psychological Concerns
- Does the senior appear to be depressed or anxious?
- Are they remaining socially active as much as possible?
- If the senior practices a religion, are they going to services or programs that are of interest to them?
- Is the person taking pleasure in activities that have interested them in the past?
- Is the senior having memory issues? Uncommonly loud or distressed?
- Are financial affairs in order?
Discovering the answers to questions like these may seem challenging, but Solutions In-Home Care is here to support you. Our expert Kennewick area senior home care team can help analyze your loved one’s situation and recommend solutions, providing you and your loved one peace of mind. Our expertly trained and knowledgeable senior home care staff can provide a wide range of help for seniors at home in Benton City, Kennewick, and the surrounding area, including companionship, light housekeeping tasks, preparing healthy meals, and much more.
Reach out to us at (509) 627-8575 to request an in-home assessment, and discover how our expert care staff can provide the help at home needed to keep your senior loved one safe and thriving.
