If your elderly parent lives alone, you may be concerned about their ability to fully take care of themselves. While you do not want to put them into a facility, you still may be wondering whether they need assistance with their day-to-day activities.

If you are unsure whether or not you should seek out help for your parent at their house, there are certain indicators that you can look for during your next visit. Below are just a couple of the signs that should lead you to consider signing up your elderly parent for personal home care services.

1. You Notice Your Parent Is Losing Weight and See Evidence That They Are Not Eating Enough

One sign that your elderly parent may need to have a professional service come to their home to help with their personal needs is when you notice that your loved one has started to lose weight. Along with the weight loss, you may find evidence that they are not eating enough.

During your next visit, ask them what they are eating, whether they are making their food themselves or ordering out. You can also look around the kitchen to see if you find any evidence of food preparation or takeout as well as how many groceries they have in the refrigerator and cabinets. If you do not feel that they are eating enough, having a professional come in and assist with meals as part of the service would prove beneficial.

2. You Find That Your Loved One Is Either Not Taking Their Medication or Taking Too Much

Another sign that your loved one may need personal health care providers to come to their home to help is when they are not taking their medications correctly. They may be forgetting to take their medicines, or they may be taking double dosages on the same day.

During your next visit, check their medication bottles and count the pills to see if the numbers line up from the day your parent started taking them. You can also place the medication in an organizer to keep track. If there are any discrepancies and the organizer does not help them take their medication correctly, you may need the assistance of a home health service.

Along with helping with meals and ensuring your parent takes the correct medication on the right days, a professional home caregiver will also help them with their activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing themselves along with assisting them with any mobility issues. They can also help keep your parent from feeling lonely and isolated from living at home alone. If you would like to speak to someone for more information, contact a business in your area that provides personal home care services, like Moonlight Home Health Care.

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