It may be difficult to tell if your loved one needs elder care assistance, especially if you don’t visit them often.  Let’s say that during the holidays you visited a family member or friend who is living independently and now you are wondering if they are able to take care of themselves the way that they once did.  Maybe you found spoiled food in the refrigerator, or maybe not enough food at all.  Perhaps the home was cluttered or dirty, when it was previously clean and well organized.  It’s even possible that you noticed your loved one’s personal hygiene has declined.  

Any of these observations should throw up a red flag; they signal a change in physical condition or mental status.  This is an indication that elder care assistance might be needed.  Of course, this doesn’t signify that your loved one needs to move into an assisted living facility right away, but it should prompt further action and a discovery phase.  Help is available in various options from minimal to maximum assistance.  

Now that you have witnessed this decline, and are concerned, you are probably wondering what you should do or what you should say.  Some of these topics can be sensitive to discuss, especially with someone you care about.  No one wants to tell someone that their house is a mess, or that they look disheveled.  It’s uncomfortable for both parties; however, the topic needs to be discussed and investigated.  There are resources to help you approach the subject of elder care assistance.

The first step is to determine what is causing the decline.  Is your family member or friend ill and no longer have the strength or endurance to keep up with activities of daily living?  Are they suffering from anxiety or depression which doesn’t allow them to focus and carry out tasks?  It’s time to start asking a lot of questions, and if necessary, find an expert who can assist.  You have several options for finding a “medical and behavioral detective”.   Elder care assistance has many options.  

Depending on the specific situation, this detective could be a physician, social worker, a registered nurse, or another health care professionals.  It’s helpful to find someone who will actually visit your loved one in their home, so they have the full picture when gathering the data.  Select someone who has several years of experience and who has the medical background to gather the details, determine needs, and make appropriate referrals for the elder care assistance.

If it is determined that your family member or friend needs help, there are various levels to the type of support that can be secured, considering the finances available.  If only minimal support is needed, companion care can be arranged through family or friends who volunteer to provide the support.  Intermediate care may include in-home personal care services, which are not typically covered by insurances, or moving into an assisted living facility.  

This article is intended to jump start thought processes and provide initial direction in where to begin tackling the discovery that someone is no longer able to care for themselves.  Of course, there is a vast amount of information and other options that must be considered, which are not included here, but realizing that elder care assistance is needed and asking for a professional consultation will get you started on the right track.  

Connect with Wellness Strategies Group for more information on determining if elder care assistance is needed:  https://wellnessstrategiesgroup.com/contact/