This doesn’t necessarily mean that your loved one has to go to assisted living or a nursing home, but they may need some extra help in their home. If they’re not willing to admit it, how do you know if your elderly parent needs home care?

Here are signs that may indicate your loved one needs help at home:

• Spoiled food that doesn’t get thrown away
• Missing important appointments
• Unexplained bruising
• Trouble getting up from a seated position
• Difficulty with walking, balance and mobility
• Uncertainty and confusion when performing once-familiar tasks
• Forgetfulness
• Unpleasant body odor and/or strong smell of urine in the house
• Infrequent showering and bathing
• Noticeable decline in grooming habits and personal care
• Dirty house, extreme clutter and dirty laundry piling up
• Stacks of unopened mail or an overflowing mailbox
• Late payment notices, bounced checks and calls from bill collectors
• Poor diet or weight loss
• Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
• Changes in mood or extreme mood swings
• Forgetting to take medications – or taking more than the prescribed dosage
• Diagnosis of dementia or early onset Alzheimer’s
• Unexplained dents and scratches on a car

Home care agencies, such as Carepoint Inc. (@Carepoint1) are a wonderful option to keeping your loved one safe and secure in their own home.  Home care agencies help with activities and needs that a person has throughout the day. Services include:

• Companionship and conversation
• Shopping, errands and transportation
• Meal planning, preparation and clean up
• Diet monitoring
• Hygiene assistance, including bathing and dressing
• Light housekeeping, including laundry
• Walking assistance
• Change linens and bed making
• Help with bills and mail
• Supervision of home maintenance and repairs
• Organize closets and pantries
• Medication reminders
• Assistance with correspondence
• Appointment reminders
• Coordinate home services
• Pick-up prescriptions
• Review phone messages
• Watch movies and play games

How to start the conversation about home care
If you’ve noticed the warning signs, the time to start talking with your loved one is sooner rather than later - after a crisis has occurred.  But how do you bring up sensitive subjects related to aging, such as the need for home care?

Approach your loved one with a conversation.  Remember you are talking to an adult, not a child. Patronizing speech or baby talk will put older adults on the defensive and convey a lack of respect for them. Put yourself in your loved one’s shoes and think of how you would want to be addressed in the situation.  Discuss what you’ve observed and ask your loved one what they think is going on. If he or she acknowledges the situation, ask what they think would be good solutions. If your loved one doesn’t recognize a problem, use concrete examples to support your case.

Next Steps

Home care companies typically bill on an hourly basis for their services – and that rate varies widely depending on where you live. Paying for home care services is one of the most challenging issues for caregivers because most elders and families must pay for services out-of-pocket. Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for home care in most instances. Here are some other options to pay for care:

Health insurance
Some health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and some health and long-term care insurance plans provide coverage for home health care, so be sure to check benefits statements and policies

Long–term care insurance
Long-term care insurance helps cover the cost of care at home or in a nursing facility. It can cover much of the cost of home care – depending on the policy terms.

Veteran’s administration
If your loved one served in the U.S. military, financial assistance might be available to provide a veteran with home care.

State and local programs
Call your local Department of Aging or Area Agency on Aging. In many states, there are local and state funded programs that offer limited care for seniors who meet certain criteria.

Viatical life settlements
If your loved one has a life insurance policy, there are companies that offer insurance owners the option to sell their policies in exchange for a lump sum payment that is greater than the cash surrender value.

Government funding
For low-income elders, Medicaid programs in most states support home care services as an alternative to nursing homes.

Resources from AgingCaring.com Connecting People Caring for Elderly Parents

Carepoint Inc is a Charlotte Home Health Care Agency, specializing in Charlotte aging in place, and Charlotte Alzheimers and Dementia care

• Reducing the overall fat content in the diet is often the easiest way to cut calories.
• About 60 percent of calories should come from carbohydrates, with emphasis on complex carbohydrates.
• Fiber-rich foods, together with adequate fluid, helps maintain normal bowel function.
• Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated.

For more topics on aging and how Carepoint can help, please visit us at:
www.carepointinc.com
www.facebook.com/carepointinc
@Carepoint1 on Twitter
References used for this blog will be made available upon request

Carepoint Inc is a Charlotte Home Health Care Agency, specializing in Charlotte aging in place, and Charlotte Alzheimers and Dementia care

Heather visiting the Alzheimer’s Association at the Alzheimer’s Conference at Friendship Baptist Church

Carepoint Inc is a Charlotte Home Health Care Agency, specializing in Charlotte aging in place, and Charlotte Alzheimers and Dementia care

Radio 4 the Ages will be broadcasting live from First Choice Medical’s main store at 251 N. Trade Street in Matthews, on Saturday April 13th from 10 to noon. Our Agency Director Heather Rahrig will be onsite to answer questions and discuss seniors, aging, and caregiving along with the First Choice Medical team.  Join us or tune in on AM 1340 or FM 94.3 in the Rock Hill and Charlotte area.

Carepoint is a proud partner of First Choice Medical and the Charlotte Senior Resources association.  Join host David Gwilt for this live broadcast as we celebrate with First Choice Medical at their kickoff of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Games.  A FREE lift chair donated by First Choice Medical will given away as well.  Stop by between 10:00 – 12:00 and register to WIN – no RSVP is necessary!

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2013/02/ohio_state_tests_brain_stimula.html

Like us on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/carepointinc

http://www.carepointinc.com/carepoint-difference/caregivers-spotlight/

We will be conducting another class soon, so if you are interested in signing up or would like more information, please call our office at 980-226-5516.

We will be there from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm providing free blood pressure checks along with free samples.

Many of our fellow members from CSR (Charlotte Senior Resources) will be in attendance as well to provide information about their services.

Come and find out more about the senior industry – We look forward to seeing you there!