An old cliché states “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” When your elderly loved one is living alone, you might be overlooking some of the obvious signs that this is no longer a good or safe idea. The following is a list of the five most overlooked signs when considering if your elderly loved should live alone.
- Change in housekeeping habits: Was your mom, dad, or other elderly loved one usually neat around the house? Have you started to notice the laundry hamper is overflowing, clothes on the floor, dirty dishes piling up, or even an increase in clutter on household surfaces? It could be as simple as dusty surfaces or dirty floors. These are all indications that your loved one is struggling in some way. It may be a mobility issue or lack of energy or focus. They can’t handle it alone anymore.
- Change in personal appearance: Have you observed that your aging relative is looking disheveled, wearing wrinkled or dirty clothing, or the same thing each time you visit? Perhaps you are concerned that they are no longer bathing or performing other typical grooming functions. Several factors can be contributing to this behavior including pain, decrease in range of motion, and depression.
- Behavioral changes: As we age, our ability to cope with many situations changes drastically. If you are noticing unprovoked anger, anxiety, paranoia, or other attitudinal changes, you should be looking for the root cause. Are they taking their prescribed medications or suffering from isolation?
- Weight loss: Has your aging loved one started to lose weight? Are they no longer interested in food? Another not so fun fact about growing old is that our taste buds really do change, and things we used to enjoy no longer taste good. It could also be that it’s no fun to cook for one, or that they are too fatigued to prepare meals. Memories of family meal times when sitting alone at the table can be very stressful reminders of the loneliness they feel.
- Forgetfulness: This is a huge hint that living alone is no longer a viable option for your elderly loved one. If they are always forgetting to lock doors, pay bills, take medication, missing appointments, misplacing things, or losing their way home, it’s time to consider new living arrangements.
It’s very difficult to come to terms when your loved one is no longer able to live alone.
Home care Orlando experts, BrightStar Care, provide solutions. Call us today at 407-877-0720 to learn about affordable options and making transitions smooth for your elderly loved one.
An old cliché states “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” When your elderly loved one is living alone, you might be overlooking some of the obvious signs that this is no longer a good or safe idea. The following is a list of the five most overlooked signs when considering if your elderly loved should live alone.