Concepts of Health Care, Inc.
When Is It Time to Start Thinking About Senior Care?
The decision to seek elder care services can be a difficult one. The signs that the time for needing senior care services include:
- Decline in self-care, including personal hygiene and general house upkeep
- Significant memory loss, such as forgetting how to drive or where they are
- Weight loss due to a lack of being unable to eat properly or cook for themselves
- Significant change in their mood
In order to measure whether your loved one needs in-home senior care, professionals use the ADL, of Activities of Daily Living, measurement. ADLs include a list of actions that your loved one must be able to perform on a daily basis, including bathing, grooming, eating, and moving around their home, among other criteria.
Professionals will also evaluate using IADLs, which are Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. IADLs include actions that may not be completed on a daily basis, but are still essential in properly care for oneself, including doing laundry, cooking and meal preparation, driving and additional criteria.
Through the evaluation of ADLs and IADLs, you can estimate whether or not your loved one would benefit from senior home care services. If they are unable to perform ADLs, or several IADLs, then it may be time to consider contacting home care providers. However, it is important to look for other signs and factors as well, including:
- Pre-existing or developing conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other conditions that impact their daily life.
- Overall safety and confidence in handling tasks on a daily basis
- Whether they can protect themselves and act in case of an emergency
Quality Care in the Comfort of Your Own Home Since 1985
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Although family wants to ensure that their loved ones are cared for, being a caretaker can be a full-time job, in which many family members cannot fulfill entirely. Senior care services help to alleviate some of the stress and can provide the quality care your loved one may need. Concepts of Health Care, Inc provides elder care services throughout Albany, Schenectady, Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park, and many more counties in NY. To learn more about in-home senior care and our services, contact our agency today!