What Does it Look Like When Mobility Is Contributing to Safety Issues?
Your elderly family member’s ability to be mobile has a huge impact on her ability to do the things that she loves and wants to do. It also has a massive impact on her overall safety. Talk with your senior’s doctor about what can be done to assist your senior with mobility issues and be on the lookout for these major signs that mobility is having a bigger effect than you realize.
Your Senior’s Appearance or How She Keeps Her Home Are Different
Your elderly family member’s method of dress or other personal hygiene might be different now than it always has been. Likewise, her home may be showing signs that it’s difficult for her to take care of cleaning it properly. These are surface signs, but they can point to your senior’s difficulty in moving well or in the ways that she needs to in order to keep up with these tasks.
Look for Stacks of Mail
When mail starts to pile up, that can mean that your elderly family member isn’t keeping up with what’s coming to her mailbox at all. That could mean that bills or other important correspondence are mixed in with junk mail and other bits of mail. Sorting through these piles could take more time and energy than your senior thinks she has, or it could be physically difficult for her to do on her own. Regardless, she is going to need a new system.
Food Is a Powerful Indicator
The state of your senior’s refrigerator and pantry can tell you so much about what’s going on with her health. She may have sparse cupboards, which can be an indication that she’s not getting out to the grocery store at all. Another issue could be that on the surface it looks like she has plenty of food on hand, but that food is either close to expiring or is actually expired. These are all bad signs and a big indicator that your elderly family member needs more help.
Check for Burned out Light Bulbs
This might seem a little bit on the “not a big deal” side of the equation, but it’s important to look for burned out light bulbs. These can tell you a lot more than you might realize. For starters, it can mean that your senior either doesn’t have replacement bulbs and hasn’t felt confident in getting them. But it can also mean that changing that dead bulb out for a new one is too difficult for her to do. Either way, it’s a problem.
Keeping a lookout for these types of signs can help you to spot when your senior’s life and health might be changing more than either of you are ready to experience. Hiring elderly care providers is an excellent way to ensure that your senior has assistance with mobility concerns and with some of these smaller tasks that are getting away from her.
If you are considering elderly care in Goodyear, AZ, for an aging loved one, contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care. Call today (623) 748-3301.