Signs Your Loved One May Need Care
Published: 24/01/2024
Spot The Signs That Your Loved One May Be Ready for Home Care Early And Enable Them To Stay In Their Own Home For As Long As Possible
For most of us, there will come a time when our loved one requires care. It is often a difficult and daunting time for everyone concerned. However, when the warning signs are spotted early, prevention measures can be put in place to support your loved one to remain living in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible.
In our latest blog, we talk about the common signs that someone may need care. These may include changes to personal hygiene or personal care, memory loss, reduced mobility, changes in behaviour and weight loss and difficulty with every day tasks. We discuss the reasons for needing home care in more detail below:
6 Signs Your Parent Needs Home Care
1. Your Loved One is Struggling to Maintain Their Personal Hygiene
A change in appearance or body odour may be a sign that your loved one needs support with their personal care. There are different reasons why someone may be struggling to maintain their usual personal hygiene standards:
- It may be that they no longer have the physical capabilities
- They avoid showering due to concerns about falling and so lack confidence to use the bathroom independently.
- Mental health issues or depression could mean that they no longer care about bathing.
- It may be that due to reduced physical exercise or fewer visitors, they feel that they don’t need to wash as often.
- Plus, as we get older, our sense of smell reduces, which means that we may not realise we need to wash just as frequently and so may need prompting. As we age our body chemistry alters - our skin produces fewer antioxidants and more fatty acids. This means that it's natural antioxidant protection decreases and so there is a greater chance of lipid acid oxidation. Oxidation produces a by-product called nonenal which has a distinct odour and is perfectly normal.
Other red flags that someone may need some home care include having dirty clothes, unbrushed or unshaven hair, dirty or untrimmed nails or beard and a general dishevelled appearance, which is out of character.
It's worth mentioning that if you notice changes to a loved one’s breath this could indicate diabetes or kidney disease and changes to their body odour could indicate the early stages of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or incontinence.
Right at Home Leeds North, Otley and Horsforth are here to assist with laundry, light housework, washing and signpost to organisations that can fall-proof the home including the bathroom. The Horsforth branch, located in North Leeds is CQC registered which allows us to provide regulated services including help with the toilet, showering, washing, continence care and dressing. We are also here to encourage or prompt your loved one to drink water regularly, eat a healthy diet and brush their teeth which could also potentially help.
2. Changes in Their Weight
If there is a 10% difference in body weight, this can be a sign that there is a problem. Your loved one may not be eating enough and losing weight as a result. This could be caused by difficulty preparing meals or shopping, feelings of loneliness or isolation impacting their appetite or they may be forgetting to eat at mealtimes. By visiting them during meal times this will give you a good indication of their eating habits and their need for support in preparing and planning meals.
3. Reduced Mobility and Physical Changes
Physical changes can include bruises or bumps from trips and falls, burns, weight loss, changes in personal hygiene or all of the above. As we age we can become more unsteady, less mobile and our eyesight can worsen which increases the chance of falls, sprains, bruising and broken bones. You can read more about slip and trip hazards and safety proofing the home in our blog on falls here.
When visiting relatives, look out for any signs of recent falls. We have personally found that individuals worry about telling family, if they have fallen, for fear that others may think that they are unable to cope.
Of course, bruising could indicate a safeguarding issue, so this is something to always be mindful of and speak with your loved one, if you have any suspicions at all. As we age, are skin also becomes thinner and more prone to bruising. But bruising can also indicate an underlying condition that needs treatment or a vitamin deficiency, infection or reaction to medication.
4. Changes in Behaviour
Mental health problems can be experienced by people of all ages, so it is important to check in with your loved ones regularly to understand how they are feeling. Changes in behaviour may include losing interest in hobbies or activities they once enjoyed, getting confused, becoming agitated easily, mood swings or behaviours that are completely out of character.
You may also find that your family member is sleeping more than usual and becoming withdrawn and quiet so that they are less inclined to see family and friends. This may be because they are lonely, perhaps they have recently lost a partner or have lost their confidence due to a fall or pain.
Social isolation can lead to fluctuations in weight, alcohol consumption, stress and high blood pressure and it has been proven to be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For this reason, GP’s now offer social prescribing. There are many excellent Local Neighbourhood Networks out there including MHA Horsforth, OPAL and AVSED for the residents of Yeadon, Guiseley, Rawdon, Horsforth, Cookridge, Ireland Wood, Tinshill, Holt Park, Adel and Bramhope. The purpose of these is to prevent social isolation and loneliness in the over 60's. Find Right at Home North Leeds, Otley and Horsforth volunteering at several of these groups on a regular basis. Sadly, loneliness can also affect people’s mental health and can cause reduced self-esteem, depression and sleep issues.
5. They are No Longer Able to Perform Basic Daily Tasks
Another key sign that your loved one may need care is that they are unable to carry out daily tasks. You might notice that their house is becoming very untidy. Perhaps the dirty plates or laundry are piling up. There may be unopened mail or signs of hoarding. If you find your family member is struggling with things they could once do, such as making a cup of tea, showering, getting dressed, preparing meals or laying the table, they could benefit from the support of a homecare plan. There could be a number of reasons why they are struggling including forgetfulness, illness, dementia, becoming overwhelmed due to anxiety or issues with mobility and confidence.
6. Memory Loss
Memory loss is typically associated with dementia. Although it can be a symptom of dementia, this is not always the case. Confusion can be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI), low blood sugar if the person has diabetes or it may be a side effect of prescription medication. If you are worried your loved one has dementia or if they are suffering with confusion and forgetfulness, it is best to seek advice from your GP or go to A and E if they suddenly become confused or delirious. Read more about this here Sudden confusion (delirium) - NHS (www.nhs.uk).
When treated early, people that are living with dementia can be supported to maintain their independence for longer. For more information on the early signs of dementia, you can read our blog here.
Signs of memory loss may include: forgetting names, struggling to follow conversations, finding items in illogical places, getting disorientated, missing appointments, medication or meals and repeating conversations they have just had.
Who is Most Likely to Need Care?
As adults age, it is more likely that they may need some additional support. Older adults may require help with day-to-day tasks, or they may need some companionship and a friendly face to share a cuppa and to provide peace of mind for their families. Many of our Clients in Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon simply need someone to sit with them, whilst their partner has some regular respite so that they can step away from being the primary carer and come back refreshed and recharged.
If you are finding it tricky to approach the subject of needing home care for a member of your family, read out top tips about having the "care conversation" with your loved one here:
How Can Our North Leeds, Otley and Horsforth Home Care Branch Help?
At Right at Home Leeds North, Otley and Horsforth, we can support you and your loved one to develop a unique and personalised care plan that meets their needs and supports them to live a fulfilled life from the comfort of their own home.
Whether they love spending time in the garden, attending local groups such as AVSED, OPAL, MHA Horsforth or Guiseley Senior Citizens or completing their favourite crossword puzzle - our team will ensure they are supported to keep doing the things they love most.
Plus we are able to provide social interaction in the community, emotional support, company whilst doing much loved hobbies and be there as a friend for them to listen and talk with.
We can provide help with using transport, shopping, light housekeeping and help with food preparation in a personal way that does not take over. Our service extends to personal care, specialist care (including PEG feeding, stoma and catheter care), end of life care and 24 hour support as well as temporary hospital to home care.
What happens next?
If you think your loved one may need care or support or for more information on our home care services covering North Leeds (including Guiseley, Yeadon, Rawdon, Bramhope, Horsforth, Otley and beyond), then please contact a member of our friendly office team on 0113 340 6000 for an initial chat. For next steps on how we can work closely with you and your loved one download our North Leeds home care brochure.
