Signs a Parent May Need Help at Home
The need for help rarely arrives all at once. It tends to show up in small changes that are easy to explain away. If a few of these sound familiar, it's worth a conversation.
What to look for
- Mail, bills or medication piling up, or doses being missed
- Little fresh food in the fridge, or weight loss
- The same clothes worn several days in a row, or less attention to hygiene
- New bruises, scrapes or dents in the car
- A home that is less tidy than it used to be
- Missed appointments, or repeating the same questions
- Giving up activities or friends they used to enjoy
How to raise it
Start with what your parent wants, which is usually to stay at home, and talk about help as the way to make that possible. Be specific about what you've noticed, and avoid talking about them to other people in front of them.
It often helps to start small. A few hours a week of help with meals or errands is easier to accept than "care", and it gives your parent time to get to know a caregiver.
What to do next
Write down what you've noticed and when, and ask your parent's family doctor whether an assessment would help. Then talk to a home care provider about options. A consultation costs nothing and doesn't commit you to anything.
