A holiday visit may provide a closer look into your aging relative’s life and routine. And, sometimes that look yields concern.
Your aging relative may need more help if:
1. You find that some bills, such as for utilities, have been unpaid.
2. You find a stack of unopened mail.
3. The refrigerator is stocked with old food; you can’t find any fresh groceries.
4. Your aging relative has lost weight and appears gaunt.
5. Your aging relative’s appearance is unkempt.
6. Your aging relative’s home is unusually cluttered and dirty.
7. The outside of the home needs maintenance.
8. You find multiple bottles of medications, but your relative is unclear about when and why to take the medications.
9. Your aging relative no longer participates in regular activities, such as attending church or the local senior center.
10. You learn that your aging relative has received driving violations.
If you have concerns, contact your local Area Agency on Aging (call the ElderCare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 for a referral). Ask for a referral to a geriatric assessment center near your aging relative. A team, consisting of a geriatrician, social worker and other professionals, can run a battery of tests to determine your aging relative’s health care condition and care needs. The team may find a short-term problem that can be easily fixed (an untreated infection, for instance). Or, they find determine a diagnosis that indicates more help and care is needed. Either way, it’s good to know where you are. Then, you’ll know where you need to go.
Additional Resources:
Shawn Bloom, President and CEO of the National PACE Association, and Cheryl Phillips, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of On Lok Lifeways and President of the American Geriatrics Society, created a flyer detailing the top signs indicating an aging relative may need a more thorough examination by a trained professional.
Inside Our Holiday Survival Guide
—The Chocolate’s Okay, But I Melted
—Ten Signs an Aging Relative Needs Help
—Bah Humbug? A True Tale of Christmas
—Listen to Managing Your Holiday Stress teleclass (Before listening, a little homework for you: What do you dread about the holiday season? What’s one wish you have for yourself? One wish you have for your caree? This teleclass was originally recorded in 2009.)
—Take our free webinar, “Say Yes to the Best Holiday Ever by Saying No.” (This webinar originally aired in 2010.)
—Holiday Spent: Creating and Sticking to a Holiday Spending Plan (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2010)
—Sharing the Holidays with Unhappy Family Members (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2010)
—Facing the Holiday Fantasy (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2010)
—Holiday Healing: Stop the Games But Form a Team (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2009)
—Listen to Managing Your Holiday Stress teleclass (Before listening, a little homework for you: What do you dread about the holiday season? What’s one wish you have for yourself? One wish you have for your caree? This teleclass was originally recorded in 2009.)
—Take our free webinar, “Say Yes to the Best Holiday Ever by Saying No.” (This webinar originally aired in 2010.)
—Holiday Spent: Creating and Sticking to a Holiday Spending Plan (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2010)
—Sharing the Holidays with Unhappy Family Members (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2010)
—Facing the Holiday Fantasy (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2010)
—Holiday Healing: Stop the Games But Form a Team (Your Caregiving Journey talk show, originally aired in 2009)
You are a disruptor. The delivery of health care starts with you, continues because of you, and ends with you. Let's disrupt together to make the world better for family caregivers. 
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