Choosing a nursing home for my husbands

Signs That Indicate Your Parents May Need Aged Care

It can be very difficult to come to terms with the fact that your parents may need aged care, meaning professional assistance with living in their own home, or a move to a care facility of some sort. However, as parents get older, it's good to understand how challenging it can be for them to live on their own, especially if they have particular medical needs. Note a few signs that are easy to overlook and which might indicate that your parents are no longer safe on their own.

Bruises

Bruises can indicate problems with balance and coordination; a parent may be consistently bumping into things, tripping over steps, or running into a wall while trying to keep himself or herself from falling. If left unchecked, these balance and coordination issues can get worse, so that your parent may suffer a very serious, and even life-threatening fall. While an occasional bruise may not indicate an issue, if you notice your parents are consistently bruised, this can indicate that they need assistance of some sort.

Changes in behaviour

If your parents used to keep a very neat and tidy home, but now the house is always unkempt, this can either mean that their mental functions are beginning to fail, or they're struggling physically to keep up with housekeeping. Being suddenly combative with people can also mean that an elderly person's mental faculties are failing, or it can mean that they're in chronic pain and are responding with anger and irritation. If you notice any such extreme changes in your parents, consider having them evaluated by a doctor, so he or she can note if they need assistance with their care.

Damage to the home

Consistently flooded bathrooms, fires on the stovetop, or dents in the garage of your parents' home can mean that they are now struggling with everyday chores. A parent may struggle to get in and out of a bathtub so that the water splashes over the side and floods the room, or they may forget something on the stovetop so that a fire starts. Dents in the garage door or damage to items stored in the garage can mean that their driving skills are suffering. Your parents may also have slowed reaction times, so that they cannot turn off the bathtub water, get to their items being cooked, or hit the brakes on the car as quickly as they once did. All of these signs may indicate that it's no longer safe for them to live alone, and they may now need aged care.