What to Watch for at the Holidays – Signs of Decline in Your Elderly Parents

If you are a long distance caregiver, your visit home for the holidays can tell you a lot about whether your elderly loved ones need additional assistance.

Here are some things to watch for during your visit:

• • Changes in personal hygiene
  • Clothing that is worn or inappropriate for the season
  • Bills or mail stacking up
  • Old food in the refrigerator; lack of fresh food
  • Dropped pills
  • Medications in disarray
  • Damage to the car
  • Lost or inoperative hearing aids
  • Broken glasses or prescription out of date
  • Home maintenance issues and cleanliness problems
  • Voicemail or answering machine full
  • Pets not adequately cared for

If you find some of these signs, it’s time to find ways to help your loved ones.

One way to help is to hire a professional geriatric care manager and or daily money manager like the ones at Care is There.

At Care is There Geriatric Care Management, our care managers, daily money managers, and Aging Life Care associates will meet with your parents personally to assess their situation, to review your concerns – and theirs – and develop a plan that works for everyone. If your elderly parents live near Charlottesville, Staunton, or Harrisonburg Virginia, or Overland Park, Kansas, we can help.

Whether or not you decide to hire a care manager, you will want to increase your own knowledge about what to expect as a long distance caregiver. In our course, “The Pro Guide to Becoming a Successful Long Distance Caregiver”, we do just that. We also offer personal coaching to answer questions about your specific situation.

Know someone who worries about their elderly parent in Charlottesville, Staunton, or Harrisonburg Virginia? Care is There Geriatric Care Management can help! Have them contact us for a free consultation: 434.326.5323 or info@careisthere.com.

For more information about our services, and to read testimonials from our clients, visit our website. Also, view this short video about our care management services.

Elizabeth Swider, Geriatric Care Manager, Certified Senior Advisor
President, Care is There Geriatric Care Management
Support for independent living, bill paying and daily money management, assisted living enhancement, courses and coaching.