Worrying about your parents as they become older is part and parcel of a loving family dynamic, and you will naturally want to ensure your mother and father are living as fulfilling and independent a life as possible.
However, for some people (but certainly not for all), maintaining a home, backyard, and garden, as well as handling bills and other housekeeping responsibilities, can become tougher and tougher over time.
To help you ascertain whether or not this may well be happening to your parent, here are four ways to check if they are happy and coping living at home.
In This Article
1. Their House Is Clean & Tidy
One of the simplest methods of ensuring your parent is fully capable of running their own home and living independently is to keep an eye on small details in terms of cleanliness and hygiene.
If the state of a house that is normally dust-free, and where there are never usually more than a couple of plates and mugs in the kitchen sink, begins to decline, this may be a sign that your parent is struggling to cope.
2. They Manage Their Finances & Medication Properly
A positive sign that your parents are coping at home is if they are taking their prescription medication on time every single day and, moreover, their personal hygiene levels are still at an optimum.
However, financial management can become increasingly complicated and harder to deal with over time, and should the next time you visit you notice a pile of unopened bills on the kitchen table, gently talk about this and ask how you can help.
Morris Care Homes across Shropshire & Cheshire would be an excellent place to start should you be looking to find out details on how care homes work and, crucially, how they support their residents to live as fulfilling a life as possible.
Even if your mom or dad has never been much of a social butterfly and has always preferred to keep themselves to themselves, you should still pay attention to how often they leave the house and how long they go between talking to another human being.
Tragically, loneliness and isolation are the biggest killers of older people, especially around the holidays, as low mood and even depression can afflict people quickly and often without warning.
Should you even have the slightest suspicion that your parent is becoming more and more withdrawn as each week passes, make sure you encourage them to make an appointment with their doctor as soon as you can.
4. They Are Eating Regularly & Properly
Especially when you live alone, nobody would blame you or start to worry if you occasionally forego a healthy dinner for a large bar of chocolate and a bag of chips.
However, this behavior will obviously have a detrimental impact on the body over time, so you should make sure that not only is your loved one eating regular meals, as well as drinking plenty of fluids, but that the types of food they eat are, in the main, healthy.
