As families are traveling and gathering with their loved ones during the holidays, this is a special time to possibly initiate the discussion of long-term care options for older parents/grandparents. Families that live out of town or out of state and come to visit their aging family members will probably notice things are not as kosher as they thought.

Here is a quick list of some things to look for when you’re visiting your aging family members, and to determine when it’s time to begin discussing outside services needed in the home or possibly transitioning to a community.

1. Is the refrigerator very bare? Is food/drinks spoiled? Is nutrition not being followed (well balanced meals)?
2. Is your loved one losing weight? *this can coincide with #1*
3. Does the house look disorganized and unclean? Is there a hoarding issue? Does the house have a lingering odor?
4. This is personal – is your loved one not bathing regularly? Not keeping up with dental hygiene?
5. Are medications not being taken consistently? Are the medications not organized which leads to medication errors? Are you finding pills on the floor?
6. Do you notice your loved one is withdrawing? Were they usually happy and outgoing and now they spend most of their time at home and not staying active? *Signs of depression are very important*
7. Is your loved one showing signs of memory loss? Do you feel they are safe to stay at home alone and know what to do if there is an emergency?

These are a few items that are telltale signs of needing to initiate a conversation with your loved one and/or with family. Holiday time is typically slower for seniors to transition to a community due to the weather, which leaves the question what do you do if services are needed urgently. There are services that come into the home and provide MANY services that will give you a peace of mind and bring comfort to your loved one.

Part of my services is I have done the legwork of finding the best communities and agencies to provide services to your loved one. I can do everything from setting up the services to following up with the client to make sure everything they are needing is being followed through by the company. My services is to bring peace of mind to family, especially family that do not live nearby, that their loved one is being taken care of with the utmost respect.

Please contact me if you have questions or would like to begin brainstorming options. Consultations are complimentary. All the professionals I partner with are from my Preferred List that I personally have selected based on many areas of focus. I assist with anything related to long-term care and seniors — long-term care communities, outside services coming into the home, estate planning or Medicaid process, long-term care insurance, downsizing/moving, housekeeping, and respite.