How to Determine When Senior Care Is Needed at Home

Understanding when an aging adult requires the assistance of a home care professional can be challenging. We’ve simplified the process by providing a list of helpful suggestions to keep in mind during your next visit.

Understanding when an aging adult requires the assistance of a home care professional is an important step to keeping him or her safe. The home care experts at Right at Home have compiled the list below to help you identify the red flags that may indicate a need for professional home care services:

The Senior’s Appearance

• Overall, how does she/he look?
• Is she/he wearing clean clothes, or do they appeared dirty, stained or soiled?
• Does it appear that the senior is bathing regularly, less often, or not at all?
• Does she/he seem happy, calm, content?
• Has there been any noticeable loss or gain in weight?
• Is the senior having difficulty with getting around, or appear unsteady and in need of a walking aid?
• Has there been any change in the senior’s memory, such that he/she is repeating statements and questions?
• Are there any bruises or other injuries that could indicate a fall might have occurred?

In the Home

• Is there a lot of clutter, or more clutter than there used to be?
• Is mail piling up?
• Are there bills that have not been paid?
• How does the house smell?
• Is there dirty laundry lying around?
• Is there enough food in the refrigerator/pantry?
• Is there any food that is past the expiration date or spoiled?
• Are there any burn/scorch marks on the stove or pots/pans?
• Is the home clean and well maintained?
• Are there any cords or other fall hazards in walking paths?

Outside and in the Garage

• If the senior is still driving, check the car for new scratches or damage.
• Are there any paint scrapes on the walls of the garage?
• Is the lawn maintained?
• Are the sidewalks free from debris or other tripping hazards?
• Is there enough lighting (and are lights working properly)?

If these or any other areas of concern are noted, and you are anxious about starting the conversation about home care with your loved one, download our “Right Conversations” guide for tips to help. And when you are ready, we would be happy to visit and provide a free in-home assessment to recommend the right level of care. Contact us anytime at (941) 929-1966 to learn about how our caregivers in Sarasota and the surrounding areas can help, and to find out if your neighborhood is included in the communities we serve. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist.