As our loved ones get older, it is only natural that they need more help at home and managing their daily activities. However, there can come a point when the needs of our elderly relatives surpass our ability to provide them with support, forcing us to consider whether they need home care services.
Recognising the signs that your parent or loved one needs home care can be difficult, especially if the time you spend together is limited, making it harder to spot the extent of their physical or cognitive decline. Even when you do realise the extent of their condition, enlisting home care support can feel like admitting defeat, although this could not be further from the truth.
At Blossom, we understand how difficult it can be to acknowledge when your elderly relative needs home care, but we are here to reassure you that putting the appropriate support in place is always the right decision. In this article, we have compiled nine signs your loved one might need home care, as well as details about what Blossom Home Care can do to support everyone concerned through this transition.
What Are the Signs Your Loved One Needs Home Care?
From reduced mobility making it difficult to maintain their home to disinterest in leading an active social life, there are many obvious and some more subtle signs that your loved one might need the support of home care services. For help spotting the signs of decline, we have compiled the following list of physical and behavioural cues, alongside information about how Blossom can assist elderly individuals in need of home care.
1 Changes to their appearance
It is common among elderly people to lose some of their sensorimotor control, which allows their brain to send information to their muscles and joints in order to perform precise movements and actions. This can make it more difficult to perform basic daily activities, such as dressing, brushing teeth and hair, and other aspects of personal hygiene. This can result in older adults appearing less well-groomed, dishevelled or even dirty, which can be detrimental to their health, dignity and confidence.
How Blossom Can Help: Getting showered, dressed and ready for the day is a crucial part of our clients’ daily routine, which is why we have committed to offering minimum 50-minute care visits so that our carers have plenty of time to help with these essential tasks. We appreciate that some older adults may be resistant to receiving support with more intimate tasks, but by allocating additional time to their visits, we can ensure they receive the right level of assistance without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
2. Changes to their diet
Loss of appetite in elderly people can be caused by any number of things, such as problems chewing or swallowing, forgetting to eat or depression, lessening their motivation to make meals. Whatever the reason for their change in eating habits, when you notice your loved one starting to lose weight, this is an urgent sign that they need home care to manage their nutritional intake.
How Blossom Can Help: As part of our bespoke home care service, we identify the needs of each individual and schedule their care plan accordingly. Whether that means helping them with meal planning, accompanying them to the shops to purchase ingredients, preparing the meals or supporting them during mealtimes, our compassionate carers will do whatever is needed to ensure your loved one meets their nutritional needs. For clients with strict dietary requirements, we are more than happy to document their food intake on the Blossom Home Care app.
3. Challenges with housekeeping
Laborious tasks like cleaning, tidying and doing the laundry become increasingly difficult as strength and mobility decline, which can lead to some elderly people living in messy or dirty environments. This not only raises the chance of infection and accidents in the home, but can also have an impact on the mental wellbeing of the person being forced to live in these conditions.
How Blossom Can Help: During our extended care visits, our carers can make time to clean and tidy your loved one’s living space, allowing them to relax in their own home without the stress of managing its upkeep or the fear of endangering their physical or mental health.
4. Challenges with finances
Keeping track of bank balances, bills and insurance can be incredibly confusing for elderly people with cognitive decline, while advancements in artificial intelligence and other digital trickery have made older adults more vulnerable to fraudsters. While financial problems might not be immediately apparent, an influx of letters from banks and utility companies could be a sign that your parent needs some home care support.
5. Reduced mobility and falls
As muscle strength wanes and eyesight weakens, the mobility and balance of elderly people begin to suffer. This makes daily activities such as walking, getting up from chairs and climbing the stairs much more difficult, while increasing the risk of falls. While you might not witness your parent falling or stumbling as they go about their home, if you notice any bruising on their arms or legs, this could be a sign that your parent needs home care to prevent further injuries.
How Blossom Can Help: Our carers have been extensively trained to assist individuals with disabilities and mobility issues, so you can be confident that your loved one is in safe hands. Depending on how recently their mobility has declined, our care coordinators may request an assessment with an occupational therapist to ensure your loved one has access to the relevant medical equipment.
6. Memory loss and cognitive decline
Forgetfulness is common among older adults and can be caused by anything from hormonal changes and lack of sleep, to medicinal side effects and cognitive disorders such as dementia. Depending on the severity of their condition, the impact of your loved one’s cognitive decline could be as innocuous as forgetting to drink their cup of tea or skipping meals, or as severe as missing their medication and experiencing confusion about when and where they are.
How Blossom Can Help: We provide empathetic dementia home care services, encouraging clients to engage in activities that promote cognitive function and mental stimulation. This ensures they have the necessary support they need to live safely in their own homes for longer.
7. Challenges with medical needs
From being unable to travel to appointments to forgetting to take important medications, there are numerous obstacles that can prevent your loved one from meeting their healthcare needs. Depending on the nature of their ongoing treatment, this can exacerbate existing problems, making it all the more difficult for them to remain at home.
How Blossom Can Help: Working closely with district nurses, community outreach and multidisciplinary teams (MDT), we will develop an intimate understanding of your loved one’s medical needs to ensure our carers can manage their appointments and medication schedules as required.
8. Isolation and loneliness
Whether your parent has recently entered retirement or is mourning the passing of friends, family or even their spouse, these life events can significantly shrink their social network, while stripping them of purpose and identity. This can cause elderly individuals to withdraw from social activities, which can have serious detrimental effects on their mental and physical health. If you notice that your loved one is shying away from social events or has limited opportunities to interact with others, this could be a sign that they need home care.
How Blossom Can Help: In addition to assisting our clients with essential and practical tasks, our carers pride themselves on providing companionship to socially isolated individuals. By spending quality time with clients during our visits, we empower them to pursue their hobbies and interests as much as possible.
9. Caregiver burnout
Caring for parents and loved ones in any capacity can become physically and emotionally exhausting, especially when dealing with dementia or complex needs beyond your understanding. While the thought of having someone else care for a person so close to you can elicit feelings of guilt and fear, recognising when you are struggling to provide care by yourself is as authentic a sign your loved one needs home care as any other. If these feelings resonate with you, then it might be time to consider professional home care.
How Blossom Can Help: By relieving you of the responsibility of caring for your parent or loved one, Blossom allows you to focus on your own wellbeing, while giving you back the joy of spending quality time with your loved one, rather than enduring the stresses and strains of providing care.
What to Do When You Need Home Care Services
We hope the information in this article has provided some clarity about whether your loved one needs home care services. At Blossom, we are dedicated to creating home care plans that are tailored to the needs of our clients, from providing companionship to those living apart from their families to meeting complex needs for those with life-limiting illnesses.
For more information about our services, or to discuss your concerns about your loved one with one of our compassionate care coordinators, please contact us today or find your nearest Blossom office via our online tool.