If this is your circumstance, an overnight senior helper may be your most cost-effective in-home care option.
How to Know When You Need a Senior Helper
Seniors and their family members should remain aware of signs that it is time to find a senior helper.
Family members should be especially vigilant.
Often, a senior may not realize on their own that they need help. Other seniors may be reluctant to seek help for fear that they will lose their independence.
None of us can resist aging. And a normal part of that process is a decline in our physical skills and cognitive abilities.
So, how can you know when a senior has crossed the line between natural decline and a serious need for help? There are a few signs to look out for:
- Difficulty performing simple daily tasks
- Significant memory problems
- Inability to manage medications and vital aspects of general health
Again, it is a challenge to know when these signs call for professional help. The next sections will cover these signs in further detail to help you decide if a senior helper is right for you or your loved one.
Struggles with Daily Tasks
The ability to perform daily tasks is something most of us take for granted. Completing errands and chores for ourselves is what allows our lives to run smoothly.
When seniors struggle to complete these activities, it is not only frustrating; it can be dangerous as well.
Pay close attention to how seniors in your family carry out the following tasks. If you notice a significant decrease in their ability to complete these, it may be time to hire a caregiver:
- Driving
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Cooking
- Cleaning
This is not an exhaustive list.
But the inability to complete these and other basic tasks is a negative sign.
Many seniors may continue to attempt these tasks despite being unable to do so successfully. This only adds to the danger.
As seniors work on chores beyond their abilities, they risk falling and experiencing other forms of physical harm.
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The danger of this is increased by certain unsafe areas in the home, such as:
- High shelves
- Stairs
- Slippery flooring
Look for signs that a senior in your family struggles with daily tasks. Be sure to find a senior helper before it is too late.
Memory Problems
Cognitive decline is another sign that a senior is ready for an in-home caregiver. As we age, our thinking skills change in many ways, such as these:
- Reduced processing speed
- Difficulty remembering recent events
- Lack of attention
- Diminished language comprehension and production
- Decreased problem solving and planning
It is easy to imagine how cognitive decline can decrease the quality of life. It is also clear that poor judgment and memory are threats to seniors’ wellbeing.
Everyone will experience some form of cognitive decline as they age. So, to a degree, this is normal.
But that doesn’t mean that those with poor cognition can still function on their own.
Also, some far more serious cognitive conditions affect seniors. One example of this is Alzheimer’s.
At times it is hard to tell if someone has this condition.
This is because many of the warning signs are similar to those associated with mild cognitive decline. However, if a senior displays the following symptoms, there is a chance they are developing Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia:
- Major personality shifts
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Delusions and hallucinations
- Emotional volatility
- Depression
If you notice these signs, seek medical attention as soon as you can. Odds are a senior caregiver will be helpful as well.
Poor Medication Management
Another aspect of aging is an increase in daily medications.
These medications are often needed to treat aches and pains and other conditions a senior has developed in their process of aging.
It is common for seniors to require multiple medications each day. Older adults account for more over the counter medications and prescriptions than any other group.
Many of these seniors take at least three pills per day.
Here are a few common conditions that lead seniors to have high daily medication requirements:
- Arthritis pain
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Poor thyroid function
- Bacterial infections
In truth, keeping track of multiple medications can be confusing with or without the presence of cognitive decline.
To add to this difficulty, some aspects of aging require seniors to adjust their dosage to ensure their medications achieve the proper effect. These include:
- Reduced kidney and liver function affecting how medications are absorbed and removed from the body
- Increased fatty tissue affecting how medications are distributed throughout the body
- Chronic conditions like diabetes further complicating the medication regimen
Consider the fact that many seniors have multiple doctors providing their prescriptions. With each prescription and its own distinct set of instructions, taking medication becomes increasingly complex.
