When Is The Right Time To Hire Help At Home?

Many senior citizens are happy and healthy living in their own homes. They are very independent and have the freedom to do the things that please them. They are physically and mentally capable of caring for their needs as well as the household tasks and other daily activities. They have adult children and other family members to check in on them regularly, and they are confident that all is well as they age in place. On your visits, you begin to notice little signs that indicate that something is amiss, but you want to make sure before you have a conversation about it with the senior loved one. Home Care Fair Oaks has some useful info for you regarding this;

Things To Consider

You are noticing that when you visit, the older adult is not as fresh as they usually are, and the clothes they are wearing are soiled. Unopened mail and bills are piling up on the table, and there is food spoiling in the refrigerator. You check their medications, and there are more pills than should be in the bottles which indicates that the older adult has not been taking their meds as scheduled. All this is the reason for concern for you. You realize that your senior loved one is in need of a hired assistant to help care for them.

Communicate With Your Senior Loved One

You ponder about having this conversation with your senior loved one because you know that you will be met with rejection of the idea. It is difficult for older adults to come to the realization that they may need some assistance because they fear losing their independence, and the freedom that they now have. They start to lose their confidence in themselves. The need to hire help at home for your senior loved ones is imperative for their safety and well-being, and the time to do that is when you feel that they are not capable of continuing to care for their needs.

Your senior loved one may be experiencing some cognitive issues or may have an underlying physical disorder that prevents them from being as mobile, flexible, or agile as they once were. For all these reasons, hiring help is the best answer. It may not take as much convincing as you may anticipate. Talking frankly and honestly with the older adults can result in an agreement. Subtle changes in behavior are always an indication that changes need to be made. Trying to help older adults understand that this is better for them may take a little while.

Final Words

Everyone needs help sometimes, and maybe the best way to start with your senior loved one is to have a caregiver come in for a couple of hours at first, then gradually increase to full time if needed. Allow ample time for the senior loved one to adjust to having an assistant in the home like Fair Oaks Home Care. Include them in the decision of choosing a caregiver, and let them meet with more than one so that they can feel confident in the choice that was made. Their health and safety depend on it.