Caring for aging parents who live alone: Read the warning signs

Are you caring for aging parents who live alone? If so, I’m sure there may have been many nights when you’ve tossed around in bed wondering if everything was okay.

You might want to consider quality elder care solution if:

1. Your parent(s) show significant weight loss: As people get old, the body sheds fat which in turn reduces the weight. Gradual reduction in weight amongst the aging persons is normal. However, significant weight loss within a short period of time could be an indicator that all is not as well as it should be. Illness and depression are two significant factors that lead to sudden weight loss. Unless you are able to determine and rectify the cause - something that usually requires a lot of time and effort on your part, the best way to care for your aging parents would be to consider a quality elder care solution.

2. Loss of memory: As parents get old, they will gradually lose their memory – this is natural. However you need to watch out for situations where either parent no longer remembers the name of the street or where they live. If you are caring for aging parents this could have dangerous and costly implications for you. Trust me; you do not want to end up having to put up posters seeking information regarding a missing parent. It’s just not worth letting things get that far. Caring for aging parents also means making the right decision at the right time. Quality elder care solution is never far away. All it takes is a phone call. Simply check out the best quality elder care solution in your neighborhood and keep the phone number handy.

3. Unhygienic conditions: Have either of your parents urinated wherever they were sitting because they found it was too difficult or too painful to get up and go to the bathroom? Unhygienic conditions can lead to severe medical complications that would require time and money to heal. Caring for aging parents also means checking in on them from time to time. As part of caring for aging parents, you should plan to stay with them overnight. Just a short visit might not expose hidden problems. Remember to keep the phone number of a quality elder care solution handy.

4. Lack of judgment: There will be times when your parents go in for expensive overhaul of a room when all that was required was a small plumbing job. As parents get old their mental faculty becomes weak and they have difficulty in deciding the best and most cost effective course of action. As part of caring for aging parents, you should plan regular visits to your aging parents and when there, check out for any changes in and around the house that might indicate poor judgment. Take care not to react the instant you find something indicative of lack of judgment; we all make mistakes and one mistake is not indicative of anything. However, a series of such errors in judgment may be indicative that caring for aging parents is now a task best suited to professionals found at quality elder care centers. Remember that professionals at quality elder care solution centers have been trained to take care of elderly people.

5. Frequent minor accidents: Does you dad or mom frequently return with minor dents on the car? Several such incidents within a relatively short span of time could indicate failing eyesight or failing reflexes. Don’t wait until it gets out of hand and you have to visit them in a hospital. Caring for aging parents also means knowing when to take action.

Caring for aging parents should always include checking in on them from time to time, regular outings together, staying overnight at your parents place or having them stay with you for a while. Caring for aging parents means observation, keeping the above warning signs in mind, and lastly, having at hand the phone number of a quality elder care solution in your neighborhood.