Life is beautiful at any age but there does come a time when you look at your parents and you see that they are not the same people that they used to be. Time has caught up with them and they may look frailer, they may be relying on living aids such as a walking stick, or they may just need help from you caring for them, which as you can imagine is a true role reversal.
Because your parents are aging it is important to start planning for the future and getting plans in place for their care, this is so it is ready as and when it is needed. Start looking around at care providers and those providing hospice care services within the home, the more information you have to hand now the easier the decision and process will be a little further down the line. So now that you have more of a plan in place for what the future may bring, what signs should you be looking for that would show you that your parents are ready for hospice care?
1. Refusal Or Reluctance To Eat
Are your parents struggling to cook for themselves, or struggling to cook adequate healthy and well-balanced meals? Nutrition and food are so important in anybody’s life, especially as you get older and you find yourself having to take tablets and medication. Having somebody in the home to help or even take charge of meal plans, preparation and cooking will ensure that your parents are well fed with healthy and nutritious meals.
2. Poor Personal Hygiene
Perhaps your parent/s have no desire to be clean or they have lots they energy and motivation, they may have even suffered from an injury and may find it difficult to clean themselves and keep clean, whatever the situation personal hygiene is important, it affects the way you feel and the way that you act and it is no different as you get older. Poor personal hygiene can lead to mental health issues which can lead to other things such as dementia, so get on top of personal hygiene issues sooner rather than later.
3. Poor Housekeeping And Maintenance
A dirty and cluttered house makes for a dirty mind, and it can be dangerous too. Perhaps as your parents have aged they have been unable to keep on top of the cleaning, or maybe they cannot physically bend down to pick things up or clean anymore. A clean and well-kept house is essential at any stage of life, so make it a priority to get help when you see that standards within the home are starting to slip.
4. Refusal Or Reluctance To Take Medication
This is a big one, especially if they are on multiple variants of medication. Medication must be taken at prescribed times of the day. Missing medication or skipping certain medications can cause your parents pain, further illness, and distress. If they are taking multiple amounts of medication it can be easy to get things confused so help would be essential at this point.
5. High Number Of Falls Or Accident Within The Home
Accidents can and do happen but when they are frequently happening it is time for concern. Minor falls can be major when you are older, and recovery times are lengthened, so prevention is often better than cure. Having someone in the house to help your parents move with ease will prevent accidents from happening and also checking the home is safe and secure would not be a bad thing to do.
6. Not Paying Household Bills
Money management can be put to the bottom of the pile in people as they age as it becomes less and less important. They will no longer be working, or perhaps even leaving the house and so missing bill payments or being behind on payments just happens. Issues can quickly escalate and lead to bigger worries and stresses so it is important to handle any money worries or concerns as soon as possible.
7. Mood And Depression
This is a big area to cover but most certainly an important one. Depression in older people can be hard to control and manage especially if they are on their own, they may be feeling isolated too. Having someone come into the home to assist them may give them something to look forward to and something to break up their monotonous days.
When it comes to getting a solution or resolution do not wait for evaluations to happen. If you feel your parents need help and assistance then start putting a plan of action into place as soon as you can, the sooner you can help them better the situation will be, it will be the difference between your parents staying in their home, and moving to a care home.
