When to Make the Decision to Hire In-Home Care

Coming to terms with an aging parent and the kinds of steps that need to be taken to deal with the challenges that presents can be a very difficult part of watching your parents grow elderly. For many, it can be one of the most difficult things that they go through. Many choose to try and handle it alone, but as dementia starts to set in for many of the elderly, it often gets to where a nursing home or other means becomes necessary to help fill the gaps. Here are some ways to determine if you need help with your Alzheimer’s care in Philadelphia.

There are often some signs of dementia that get to be too obvious to ignore, and this is one of the first signs that it is time to seek out help. If the cleanliness of the home or the physical appearance of the loved one start to change, it could be a sign that something is changing either physically or mentally for them. Sometimes these changes are obvious, but other times it could be as simple as forgetting how to do something that they used to do frequently. Often, the first sign is that the household chores have piled up and the home may not be as neat as it usually is. You may notice that your loved one forgets to take medication, or that they don’t keep a lot of food in the house and start losing weight.

Caregiver burnout is another reason for many to seek out Alzheimer’s care in Philadelphia. As much as most people want to care for their aging parents themselves, the task can sometimes become too demanding. This is exacerbated by the fact that many adults work for a living and cannot be there all of the time for their parents. If you are experiencing more anxiety or depression, or starting to lose your patience, it may be time to get a specialist to come to the home and help with the workload.

Once you have determined that it may be time to hire some extra help, it is important that you talk to your loved one in a moment where they are lucid. You can use this time to explain to them that you are getting some extra help around the home. Don’t be surprised if you frequently have to remind them, however. Having your loved one help you choose someone may be something you want to consider.

Alzheimer’s care can be a very demanding requirement, and it is often one that family members cannot handle completely alone. If you have a loved one with advancing dementia, hiring some help in the home may be necessary for the benefit of everyone involved.