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18 Signs Your Aging Parent Needs Help

 

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to unfold, it’s more important than ever to keep a watchful eye on your aging parent. While healthcare officials encourage social distancing and self-isolation, consider dropping off supplies, weekly phone calls, daily texts or video chat. Whether food is spoiling, mail is piling up, or something simply seems out of the ordinary, certain signs suggest an aging parent needs help now.

In this post we have outlined some of the signs that your aging parent may now require assistance.

Bounced checks, calls from collections, and late payment notices

Are bills being paid late or not at all? Are there messages from collection companies?

 

Broken or damaged appliances and fixtures

Have they stopped cooking or maintaining a regular meal schedule because their kitchen appliances don’t work? Are important items breaking and/or not being tended to, such as light bulbs or smoke alarms?

 

Changes in mood or extreme mood swings

Are your parents acting differently towards you, friends or even strangers?

 

Cluttered, dirty or disorganized house

Is the home beginning to look and feel different, or even unrecognizable?

 

Confusion and uncertainty when performing familiar tasks

Do your parents seem uncertain how to complete daily chores or tasks such as laundry, vacuuming or washing dishes?

 

Feeling depressed or having little to no energy

Is there a noticeable change in your parents’ demeanor? Do they smile or laugh like they used to?

Wearing disheveled or tattered clothing

Is there a distinguishable difference in your parents’ appearance? Are their clothes worn or dirty?

 

Keeping expired groceries and not throwing them away

Is food collecting dust on the counter or making the fridge and house smell?

 

Forgetfulness

Are they losing or misplacing keys, wallets or other important items on a regular basis?

 

Forgetting to take medications

Are there full bottles of prescription medicines in medicine cabinets?

 

Leaving the house or yard maintenance unattended

Are weeds growing uncontrolled or is trash piling up outside?

 

Loss of interest in activities or hobbies they once enjoyed

When was the last time they did something they loved?

 

Missing important appointments

Are they frequently missing appointments, rescheduling them, or simply not showing up?

 

Weight loss or poor dieting habits

Have you noticed they are eating less, or consuming only fast food or prepackaged snacks?

 

Poor personal hygiene

Do you frequently notice bad breath or body odor?

 

Trouble getting up from a seated position

Are they struggling to sit or stand?

 

Frequent injuries or bruising

Have you seen bruises, scratches or cuts appearing more often without any reason or an explanation?

 

Unexplained dents or damage on their car

Are they getting into more accidents? In general, are they not paying attention to their car or safety?

 

These are just a few signs that your parent may require more assistance in their daily life.  If you can relate to any of these warning signs, then we urge you to click here to contact one of our Directors of Sales today to see how we may be able to help.

 

 

 

Source: Kim Acosta

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Preparing for Long-Term Senior Care

 

The holidays are a wonderful time of year for fun, cheer and family gatherings. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, great meals will be shared, gifts will be exchanged, and loved ones will be reunited.

Amidst all these glad tidings, some families may learn that their loved one needs long term senior care. To avoid an unexpected downside to your holiday season, learn more about what to do in this situation.

Preparing for Long-Term Care Over the Holidays

It’s the holiday season, and it can be difficult to discover that your parents or senior loved ones may now be in need of long-term senior care. The need for personal care and support can sneak up on a family. After having been apart for some time, it can become suddenly apparent that it is no longer safe for someone you care about to live alone. If this happens to you, you must assess your loved one’s ability to live independently. Complete a safety and well-being check and consider creating a blueprint for a family action plan this holiday season.

Over the holidays lookout for the following warning signs that long-term care for seniors is necessary:

Physical Deterioration

Look for a loss of ability to execute what is known as the Activities of Daily Living. ADLs include bathing or showering, dressing, eating, functional mobility, personal hygiene, and toileting hygiene. Healthcare professionals often use ADLs to determine what level of care is needed. Also, look out for signs of rapid weight loss or an empty refrigerator. This might indicate your loved one is experiencing a loss of appetite or is struggling to prepare meals. Pay special attention to any physical injuries, the inability to maintain balance, or a loss of strength or movement. These issues can increase the risk of falling. Other things to look out for include incontinence and worsening medical conditions.

Cognitive Decline 

While almost all older adults experience some level of forgetfulness, frequent lapses in memory that are starting to negatively impact one’s life can be a sign of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This forgetfulness can include misplacing items, forgetting important events and appointments, and struggling to remember the names of close friends and family members. Your loved one might have difficulty carrying on a conversation. It is also common to become lost or confused while completing everyday tasks, such as going to the grocery store.

Some mental health issues such as paranoia, delusions, mood swings, personality changes, or depression are associated with different types of dementia. A dementia diagnosis does not necessarily mean a senior must immediately leave their home. However, developing a family plan can make finding care smoother as the disease progresses.

Environmental Degradation 

Make sure you look around the house to see what kind of shape it is in since the last time you visited. Is it becoming disheveled? Are household items being put in odd places where they should not be? Are there signs of damage such as a flash fire in the kitchen or automobile damage in the garage? These can be important visual clues that physical or mental deterioration is starting to take a toll.

Driving Troubles

A recent traffic ticket or car accident should raise a red flag that your loved one may be experiencing troubles driving. From vision problems to dementia, there are several reasons older adults may experience a sudden impairment in driving. A good way to gauge your loved one’s driving abilities is to go on a ride with them.

Financial Difficulties

Piles of unopened mail can reveal that your loved one is neglecting to pay their bills and may be struggling financially. Other warning signs of financial decline include taking longer than normal to complete simple financial tasks or struggling to pay attention to important details. You may also notice difficulties performing basic math or understanding financial concepts.

 

For more information click here to contact one of our sales counselors!

 

 

Source: Chris Orestis

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Programming Continues in Assisted Living and Memory Care Despite Pandemic

 

Despite the pandemic, our activities programming is still extremely important to our resident’s overall health and well-being. It not only improves their physical and mental health but also provides your loved one with daily entertainment. At Surpass Senior Living, we’ve had to get creative in the way we do things, but continuing activities in a safe way has been a big focus for us. Here are some of the ways we’ve altered our policies to continue our programs in assisted living and memory care due to the pandemic.

SANITIZATION & SOCIAL DISTANCING

The main factor in continuing activities has been creating a safe environment which starts with disinfecting common areas before and after each use. Our communities have always been clean, but now we have implemented enhanced cleaning procedures based off recommendations from the CDC.  Activities are also held in areas to allow enough room to comfortably socially distance from each other.  Our team members are also required to wear masks within the community and residents are also strongly encouraged to wear them.

Further, team members, at each shift change, take and record their temperatures and any reading at or above the threshold requires the team member to be sent home and will not allow them to return to work without medical clearance. We also screen our residents and temperatures are checked twice daily, at minimum.

ACTIVITIES

Some of our activities have changed in the way we go about them. For example, bringing activities to the resident’s door, social distancing, and requiring masks in all common areas. Some of our new activities include hallway bowling, socially distanced bingo, video chats with family, and a variety of crafts!

Although some of our activities have changed, we are still able to able to host some of our favorites like music on the patio, happy hours, and virtual lecture series. Also, movies with popcorn and snacks never get old! We laugh, we dance, we adapt and we create a loving experience for our families here at Surpass Senior Living.

 

For more information click here to contact one of our sales counselors!

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Is My Loved One Safe in Assisted Living and Memory Care?

Moving your loved one to a senior living community can be a difficult and emotional decision, but oftentimes the correct one. There are a variety of aspects to consider, but the main question is: will they be safe? At Surpass Senior Living we pride ourselves on the quality of life we create for your loved one. We provide our residents with a homelike environment in a comfortable apartment to help foster independence and the peace of mind knowing that assistance is available should they require it. In this post, we have laid out a few different reasons explaining why assisted living and memory care is not only safe for your loved one but the right decision for you as well.

QUALITY OF CARE

Caring for your loved one requires a lot of time and effort, which you may not always be able to provide. That is why it can be a safer and more logical option to utilize the trained professionals at senior living communities. Our amazing teams can provide the level of care that seniors may be unable to receive at home. Assisted Living and Memory Care may be most beneficial for seniors who:

  • Have a medical condition that requires attention throughout the day and a loved one or caregiver is not always there to provide it or does not have the expertise to address it.
  • Need assistance with bathing, going to the bathroom, or eating.
  • Need assistance with managing medications, transportation, cooking meals, and housekeeping.
  • Have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia can be cared for appropriately and safely.
  • Are living with others that cannot socially distance themselves.

COVID–19

Our communities are following strict policies set by the CDC to keep our residents as safe as possible. These policies include, but are not limited to, hand hygiene, social distancing, face masks, routine cleaning of communal areas and limiting communal gatherings. We continually revisit these policies with the help of a clinical consultant to ensure we try to mitigate the virus. In addition, we have enhanced safety measures in place to provide peace of mind for you.

  • Staff trained to identify COVID-19 symptoms and testing is completed on-site if any symptoms arise.
  • Resident temperature checks two times daily with additional screening.
  • COVID testing completed on new residents prior to move-in.
  • Team members screened prior to each shift at the community.
  • Trained care staff on-site 24/7 to monitor health and wellness and provide direct care.
  • We utilize advanced geofencing technology to prohibit entry by people who have been to places with active COVID-19.

 SOCIAL INTERACTION

According to various studies, isolation and loneliness can lead to depression, elevated blood pressure, and early mortality in seniors. This is especially concerning for seniors aging at home who are unable to see family and friends or visit local senior centers.

At our communities, residents are safely quarantined and monitored to ensure they stay safe. Our teams have worked hard to continue activities and implement safe ways of social interaction and active engagement for our residents.

ENVIRONMENT

Our purpose-built communities are designed to minimize the health risks that seniors face at home. All of our flooring surfaces are non-slip, including bathrooms in the apartments. Also, all carpeting is short pile which reduces the risk of tripping and falling. Finally, all bathrooms have safety rails and hallways have handrails throughout the community.

On-call staff also provides peace of mind in medical emergencies. Rooms have nurse call systems to notify staff in case of falls or injuries. This means seniors don’t have to worry about struggling to contact help or waiting to be found after a medical emergency at home.

Also, you don’t have to worry about checking smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, or replacing fire extinguishers. In the event of an emergency — like a tornado, earthquake, or fire — our staff is prepared to handle the situation.

 

If you are interested in learning more, click here to contact one of our Sales Directors.

 

 

Sources:

https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-older-people-pose-health-risks

https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html

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Active Engagement and Activities Programming at Assisted Living

Assisted Living provides your loved one with the ability to experience healthy aging through active engagement and social interaction. Staying active is not only important for all of us but especially for our seniors. According to the CDC, physical activity for seniors can reduce the risk of diseases and falls, as well as increase overall mental and physical health. This is just one of the many reasons why our activity programming plays a primary role In all of our Surpass communities.

ACTIVITIES

Surpass Senior Living prides itself on the activity programming offered to our residents. Our customized care is designed to meet the unique needs of each resident and to keep your loved ones active and thriving! We offer a variety of programs such as Bingo, Painting, Brain Games, Putt-Putt, Balloon Volleyball, and Bowling. We also make it a focus to spend time outside the community with field trips, cookouts, car parades, and patio visits.

In addition to Assisted Living, our programs in Traditions are also very important and we focus on a variety of activities. Our Traditions team is trained to turn even a simple conversation into a potentially reminiscent activity to assist our residents in still feeling the way they did before the disease.

Traditions activities may include baking, word games, and listening to music. These activities are designed to stimulate our resident’s cognitive abilities and help keep their brain engaged. For example, when baking, staff will talk about different things pertaining to cooking and occasionally a smell may trigger a memory. A song, type of food, or even a certain smell can help make our residents feel a certain way and may help them recall past daily rituals which has enormous symbolic value and can bring satisfaction to the resident.

SOCIALIZATION

Socialization is another key element in mental health among seniors and goes hand in hand with our activity programs. Isolation and depression is a very real aspect of seniors lives, which is why we incorporate activities that can support socialization. Even dinner can be an important time of day for your loved ones to get out and talk with their friends.

STAFF

Our Program Directors at our communities go above beyond to care for each resident and make sure they are indeed thriving. We focus on physical and social needs, but also cognitive, sensory, and spiritual needs as well. It is their full-time job to make sure your loved one is doing great and having the time of their life, and they do their job extremely well.