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Home for the Holidays

By Ann Bannes
Q 
"I am planning on going home for the holidays. What warning signs should I be aware of that signal my aging loved ones may need assistance?"

Answer 

For many of us, the holiday season is a time we share by celebrating life with our family and loved ones. The holidays may also be a time when families join together to discuss the difficult decisions about finding care for their older relative. Here are a few warning signs for you that may or may not suggest that an action should be taken:

  • Change in eating habits, including weight gain/loss or change in appetite

  • Neglected personal hygiene including neglected nails, teeth, and bathing 

  • Lack of or decrease of internal and external home maintenance 

  • Mobility difficulty, general weakness, or forgetfulness Ø Decrease in participation in activities previously important to them

  • Unusual display of unopened mail, piling newspapers, missed appointments, and/or unfilled prescriptions

  • Mishandled finances such as not paying bills or losing money 

  • Unusual purchases such as buying more than one magazine subscription of the same magazine, entered an unusual amount of contests, and/or increased usage of purchasing from television advertisements

There is a wide variety of options for families who are planning for the future of their aging loved one. Hiring an Eldercare Specialist to help is the first step in the right direction to design an effective, practical plan. Other community resources can then be identified, including escort transportation, medication management, home care, and minor home repair. Planning for the future today will help to ensure many happy holidays for years to come.

St. Andrew's Senior Solutions helps to serve the needs of older adults and their families in the comfort of their home, including housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation, personal care, nursing services and companionship. For more information, please call (314) 726-5766 or visit them at www.silverselect.com. St. Andrew's Senior Solutions is an affiliate of St. Andrew's Resources for Seniors, an Episcopal-Presbyterian organization serving older adults and their families since 1961.

Source: www.eldercare.gov