What to do when your elderly parent doesn’t admit they need support at home

There are lots of noticeable changes that may occur, which may lead you to mention that they need some extra support around the house. However, it’s not uncommon for aging parents to be stubborn and refuse in-home support or deny needing support. Aging parents that start exhibiting physical, mood, memory, and living arrangement changes may need in-home assistance depending on the severity and if they continue to exhibit such behaviour. If these issues are identified and properly dealt with early enough, they can avoid going into an Aged Care Home. Physical changes If there are any noticeable physical changes such as: [su_list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#cc1b44″]

• Weight loss.
• Loss of appetite or eating problems.
• Lack of personal care/cleanliness due to lack of showering, brushing teeth, foul odour.
• Injuries, bruises, cuts, or burns indicating falls or accidents.
• Unclean clothes and bedsheets.
• Increased frequency of falls.

[/su_list] Mood and memory changes If there are any noticeable mood or memory changes such as: [su_list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#cc1b44″]

• Forgetting things more frequently than usual.
• More withdrawn than usual
• More easily frustrated than usual
• Repeating themselves more frequently

[/su_list] Living arrangements Changes in the cleanliness of their living arrangement: [su_list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#cc1b44″]

• Clothes are not being washed very often.
• The garden is becoming more overgrown than usual.
• There is more expired food in the fridge and cupboard than usual.
• The house has a more noticeable odour.
• The house in general is noticeable not as clean as usual.

[/su_list] What to do when your elderly parent(s) don’t admit they need support at home? The way you handle the conversation about parents needing support around the house is very important. It needs to be done in a manner which is respectful, genuine, and timely. It’s important that they understand that it’s in their best interest to get support. It’s great if you can make time to provide assistance for elderly parents, but when it becomes too much work, don’t feel like you can’t ask for extra help, especially when they’re eligible for funding. Gratitude In-Home care can assist with any of the issues that your elderly parents might be having. The services we offer are: [su_list icon=”icon: check-square-o” icon_color=”#cc1b44″]

• Personal care
• Palliative care
• Overnight & 24-hour care
• Respite care
• Medication assistance
• Nursing services
• After hospital care
• Companionship
• Shopping support and meal preparation
• Gardening and home maintenance
• Transport support
• Assistance with household tasks
• Community access

[/su_list] Contact us to have a no-charge, no-obligation chat about your options. For more info, visit our website at: http://www.gihc.com.au/ Call us on (03) 9863 6959, email us at info@gihc.com.au Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Linkedin YouTube