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Spotting the Signs

Glasses in the fridge? Keys in the kettle? It might be time to start the Care Conversation.

“It’s just old age… “

Not every change is ‘normal ageing’. We want to shine a light on the small signs that might mean more.

Seeing a loved one reach their later years goes hand in hand with watching them change physically and mentally. While enjoying the time you have together, it’s crucial to keep track of their health and wellbeing in case it declines over time. That way, you can be ready if the time has come to introduce additional care support to help prevent any further deterioration and keep them fitter for longer. When families get in touch with us, certain areas of their loved one’s health and wellbeing come up time and time again. It’s useful insight for us all since it shows what people with elderly parents should look out for.

100 Home Instead office teams across the UK were asked about the signs that families are most likely to reference when making a care enquiry. We weren’t surprised by the ones that came out on top, which were:

Memory Loss: Perhaps Mum is constantly misplacing important items like keys. Or maybe she’s regularly forgetting appointments and social groups? Is she frequently repeating herself?

Personal Hygiene: Their standards of hygiene might be slipping. Bathing and showering could now be occurring less, and they might not be keeping on top of hair and nail maintenance. Is laundry still part of their routine?

Medication Management: If you a have an older loved one who is prescribed medication, don’t assume that they are taking it as they should. Many forget without somebody prompting them.

It can be quite normal to ‘put off’ these difficult conversations, but prolonging them could have a detrimental effect in the long run. Here at Home Instead, we understand how hard it can be to approach these conversations.

Starting the conversation about getting your loved one care at home can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Whether you’re noticing changes in your loved one’s health, mobility or daily routine, knowing how to approach these discussions is key to ensuring they get the right support.

Many people dismiss small changes as part of the natural ageing process, but these “little signs” can be early indicators more help is needed. For an ageing loved one can come with many questions, emotions and decisions. It’s natural to wonder if the small changes you might be noticing are just part of getting older, or signs that more support is needed

We have put together a ‘Spot the Signs’ checklist, which has been designed to help you to

How Home Instead can help…..

At Home Instead Tamworth, Lichfield North Warwickshire our Care Professionals provide care and support for ageing adults at home.

Our services cover Home Help, Companionship, Personal Care, and Specialist Dementia Care. Whatever your home help needs, we can can tailor a package to ensure you have the the perfect solution. We understand how stressful it can be to see loved ones struggle. Whatever your situation, at Home Instead we have helped many families through this before.

We listen. We understand. And we’re here to help.