Does mom sound a little off on the phone, does she seem to be covering up or changing the subject when you ask specific questions. Today we are going to talk about how a visit home for the holidays can be an eye-opening experience:
The Pumpkin Pie is nowhere to be found. The Tree is not decorated. The groceries for Thanksgiving dinner haven’t even been purchased, let alone prepared. These are just a few signs that somethings going on.
If you haven’t seen mom or dad for a while, yet been suspicious of how “well” they are really doing, a visit home for the holidays is usually a tell all. Even though mom tells you every day on the phone that she is “fine’, seeing is believing. The possible scenarios are endless.
Bills are not paid
She seems frail and has lost weight,
The refrigerator is empty
She looks disheveled and her clothes are not clean
Nutritional needs not being met
She is confused and repeating herself
There are bruises or minor injuries
Physical problems can’t be seen over the phone.
Dehydration and malnutrition can lead to many other issues including falls.
Our parents are very proud and rarely ask for help or want to admit they are struggling. It is very common to visit after even just a month or two and see a decline. The good news is, there are plenty of solutions to give you and mom the peace of mind you all deserve.
At Solutions for Independence we advocate for our clients to assure their needs are being met and they have the best quality of life possible. We get calls every year around this time from children visiting who discover mom and dad are having a hard time. We assess the situation and determine the best support services. Whether it be a caregiver, a medical device such as a cane or walker, nursing care, rehabilitative services like physical or occupational therapy or maybe even downsizing to a first floor living option or retirement community, we can help. Our care and safety assessment will help answer many questions and allow us together to come up with a plan. The plan of care will allow us to help find the resources and individuals to make sure mom and dad’s needs are being met daily.
I wish you and your loved ones’ happiness, lifelong independence and Happy Holidays. If you are visiting for the holidays and run into any of the scenarios mentioned above, please don’t hesitate to call.
