Cedar Hill’s Tips On Visiting Aging Parents This Holiday Season

The holidays tend to bring families together to celebrate traditions, enjoy time with one another and reminisce with loved ones. Often these family events come with the recognition that too much time has passed and quite a bit has changed since the last visit. This is especially true for adult children with aging parents. It’s not uncommon for the holiday visit to spark awareness that mom or dad may need some help.

A visit to a parent’s home offers a great opportunity for adult children to proactively look for clues about a parent’s health, safety and ability to live independently. Here are a few ways to get started.

1. Take stock of their home. Look for stacks of unopened mail and piles of laundry. Does the home appear reasonably clean and tidy, or is there unusual clutter? Are there other clues that declining health is impacting mobility?
2. Check the fridge. Is there outdated or spoiled food that might indicate an inability to go to the grocery store or market? This could be another sign of limited mobility, or a cognitive issue if they are not aware that the food is spoiled.
3. Check the cabinets. Are there misplaced items like cleaning supplies in the food pantry, or non-food items in the cupboards? Such occurrences could indicate confusion, memory loss or impaired cognitive ability.
4. Do you notice prescriptions that are expired or pill bottles that have a number of different pills all in one bottle? Does your loved one know what pills she is supposed to take at what time and for what reason? In your conversations, ask if they have had their regular check-up with their doctor, especially if they mention new issues or complaints.
5. Assess your loved one’s appearance. Are mom and dad well groomed, do you notice any significant weight loss or gain? Physical changes are often clues to other issues.
6. Listen carefully your loved one. Are they able to hear well, follow conversations and recognize other family members? Does Mom appear more anxious or frustrated or stressed than usual? Are there some inappropriate things being said? Do they interact equally well in an unfamiliar environment? Cognitive difficulties can be an indication of deteriorating health.