Spot the Signs this Christmas
During your Christmas visit with Mum or Dad, use our checklist to notice whether they may benefit from a bit of help to maintain their independence.
Christmas often gives us the chance to spend quality time with the people who matter most. As parents and relatives get older, these visits can also provide a gentle opportunity to notice how they are managing at home. While you are enjoying the festive season together, it can be helpful to look for any small signs that they might benefit from a little extra support.
To guide these conversations, we have put together a simple checklist that families can use to understand how their loved one is coping day to day.
The checklist explores important everyday areas including:
Home safety
Using household appliances, moving around the home, securing doors
Scam awareness
Are they staying alert to potential scams and keeping themselves safe
General health
Are they keeping up with medication, sleeping well, experiencing discomfort or losing weight
Personal hygiene
Do their hair, nails and clothing look clean and well maintained
Nutrition
Are they eating regular meals, drinking enough water and keeping food in date
Home cleanliness
Are key areas like the kitchen and bathroom clean, are curtains opened, is bedding being changed
Life admin
Opening letters, arranging appointments, staying connected socially
Additional areas worth noticing include:
- Memory and confusion
- Mobility and balance
- Eating patterns
- Changes in appearance or hygiene
- Mood and social engagement
A sudden change in any of these areas can signal that a little extra support may be helpful to maintain your loved one’s independence. This checklist is designed to help you pause, consider what you are noticing, and gain a clearer understanding of their overall health and wellbeing.
At Home Instead, many families contact us only after a crisis has happened. This might be an illness that led to a long hospital stay and reduced mobility, or a fall that has taken longer than expected to recover from. Situations like these can mean that someone who was once fully independent now needs several visits a day that they would prefer not to rely on. Through our experience of supporting adults of all ages, we have found that beginning the care conversation earlier and introducing support gradually can often prevent these crisis points.
Our Care Professionals are trained to recognise changes in their clients and provide practical support. They can help ensure medication is taken regularly, observe mobility changes that may increase the risk of falls and recommend helpful equipment, encourage healthy eating, assist with personal care, and so much more. Sometimes even a few hours of support each week can delay the need for more intensive care and gently introduce the idea of having a regular visitor to help with day to day tasks.
You can download the checklist at www.careconversations.co.uk or request a copy by emailing [email protected]
If you would like to talk about how we can support your loved one, please call us today.
