Our discussion, presented for caregivers in Austin and elsewhere, continues to focus on warning signs that a Senior may need help. Remember — by sharpening your observation skills and paying more attention to details you may find that you know a senior who needs help, but either is too embarrassed or to scared to ask for it.
Additional warning signs:
- Attitude – sadness, display of verbal or physical abuse, talk of being depressed and/or feelings of despair, abuse of alcohol or drugs, paranoia, refusal to communicate, unusual argumentativeness, a recent emotional or medical crisis.
- Cognitive functions – consistent forgetfulness about where things are, getting lost while walking or driving, confusion, loss of reasoning skills, difficulty answering questions, inability to find the right word, use of repetitive words or phrases, severe personality changes, wandering, inability to recall names of familiar people or objects, inability to complete a sentence, forgetting how to use simple, ordinary things such as a pencil, forgetting to close windows, turn off the stove, and lock doors, loss of sense of time.
If some of these warning signs are present, and you are beginning to question your senior loved one’s ability to make choices and decisions, do not scare yourself and other family members into thinking that these are the early stages of dementia. Overreacting and jumping to conclusions create communication friction and unfounded anxiety.
So where do we go from here?
Open Up a Dialogue with Elderly Family Members
Based upon your observations, if you have concluded that elder care issues demand immediate attention, it’s time to take the next step and talk about it. HOWEVER — you need to be aware that you are about to enter a potential minefield. Without knowing the most effective ways to initiate these very sensitive conversations with your elderly family members, the probability of them telling you to mind your own business, or telling you everything is fine when it is not, is almost guaranteed.
Many older people are incapable of running their own lives and homes, but often are reluctant to admit they need help. Failing eyesight, memory lapses, confusion, fatigue, sadness, drug and other substance abuses, and appetite changes can account for a diminished ability to manage a home. These are all definite signs that indicate some kind of assistance may be necessary.
Next week we will provide you with a handy checklist to use when trying to make that determination.
