Warning Signs that your elderly relatives may need extra care and help

2008
Caring Workplace
Monthly Articles

"
Hear what our
Clients are saying....

My eldercare specialist was of great assistance. She probably kept me from having a nervous breakdown. Thank you. I will keep in touch. Your literature was a great benefit.

--B.H.

Caring Workplace Monthly Newsletter: December 2005

Home for the Holidays:
Brought to you by the Caring Workplace

For many of us, the holiday season is a time we share by celebrating life with our family and loved ones. The holidays may also be a time when families join together to discuss the difficult decisions about finding care for their older relative. Here are a few warning signs for you that may suggest that an action should be taken:

Change in eating habits, including weight gain/loss or change in appetite
Neglected personal hygiene including neglected nails, teeth, and bathing
Lack of or decrease of internal and external home maintenance
Mobility difficulty, general weakness, or forgetfulness
Decrease in participation in activities previously important to them
Unusual display of unopened mail, piling newspapers, missed appointments, and/or unfilled prescriptions
Mishandled finances such as not paying bills or losing money
Unusual purchases such as buying more than one magazine subscription of the same magazine, entered an unusual amount of contests, and/or increased usage of purchasing from television advertisements

There is a wide variety of options for families who are planning for the future of their aging loved one. Contacting your Eldercare Specialist to help could be the first step in the right direction to design an effective, practical plan. Other community resources can then be identified, including escort transportation, medication management, home care, and minor home repair. Planning for the future today will help to ensure many happy holidays for years to come.

The Caring Workplace is a division of St. Andrew’s At-Home Services. Since 1961 St. Andrew’s At-Home Services has helped to serve the needs of older adults and their families in the comfort of their home, including housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation, personal care, nursing services and companionship. For more information regarding your caregiving needs please contact Heather O’Brien, ElderCare Specialist, at (314) 802-5106 or hobrien@standrews1.com

Source: www.eldercare.gov

Need Advice? Ask Our Eldercare Specialist
A St. Andrew's Eldercare
Specialist is available to
answer your questions
about caring for an aging loved one.

Ask Now!

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Caring Workplace: The Resource for Working People Caring for an Older Adult.
6633 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130 Phone: 314-802-6291 Fax: 314-726-5719 e-mail