As your parents age, they may become forgetful, slower, or just afraid to perform certain activities that involve prolonged standing, climbing stairs and other strenuous activates. If one died, they might not know how to perform certain tasks as cooking a meal or grocery shopping. Signs that your mother or father might need a companion include:
Stop driving
Seniors who stop driving often experience a decline in mental and physician well-being. Keeping them mobile, but not behind the wheel, may help them feel independent.
Skipped medication
As your parents get older, most likely they will take some medication. Results from a poll (hhh.epill.com/statistics) of U.S. seniors 65 and older who use medication found that 51% take at least 5 different prescriptions each day and 1 in 4 between 10 and 19 pills daily. A skipped medication could affect your aging loved one’s health and ability to live in their home.
Missed doctor appointments
Seniors typically have appointments with several different doctors. Keeping track is important as the results of one appointment may be critical in treating other disorders.
Messy house
Clutter can cause tripping hazards that could result in a fall, the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries. Keeping the house tidy is important for safety.
Poor personal hygiene
As our parents get older and become more unsteady, they may become afraid to get in and out of the tub or take a shower without someone in attendance or assist them. They might start having difficulty getting dressed or fastening buttons. As a result, their hygiene suffers as they fail to change clothes or bathe regularity. Poor hygiene can lead to skin infections.
Loss of spouse
Maybe your father drove your mother to all her appointments. Or your mother cooked all your father’s meals and he does not how to turn on the stove. Companion care can make a big difference in filling the void to continue certain activities.
Weight fluctuation
A common myth is that seniors lose their appetite as they age. Preparing meals may become too challenging for some seniors and may resort to eating unhealthy snack food. Some seniors may hate to eat alone, so they reduce meal intake.
Elderly Companion Care Services
To continue living at home, a maturing adult may need assistance with different types of daily living activities. They may include:
Activities of Daily Living
- Bathing
- Eating
- Dressing
- Toileting
- Transferring
- Continence
- Shaving
- Exercise
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
- Basic communication skills
- Transportation
- Meal preparation
- Shopping
- Errands
- Housework
- Managing medication
Companion care can provide needed transportation and assistance to and from doctor’s office as well as getting physician notes to share with family. Or, companion care can assist in grocery shopping and meal preparation. Your independent parents might only need standby assistance while other require more hands-on care. The type of contracted care depends on your loved one’s needs. You can schedule services to hour that best meet your family needs.
