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Does Your Loved One Need Assistance?

You may be wondering how you can tell if assistance for your loved one is needed. The most important consideration is whether the changes you see pose a threat to your loved one's medical or physical safety. Some changes that may signal the need for help are:

Behavior change symptoms

Changes in personal hygiene
Change in tidiness or cleanliness of the home or yard
Laundry piled up
Mail and bills unopened or unpaid
Odors (e.g. from spoiling food)
Missed appointments
Getting lost in familiar places
Evidence of safety risks (e.g.,burned pots in cabinet)
Evidence that medications are not being taken properly

Physical symptoms

Weight gain or loss
Unsteadiness when walking or getting up / down from chair
Evidence of incontinence (e.g., odor of urine in the home)
Unusual thirst
Unusual fatigue

Symptoms of Depression

Darkened house with the shades drawn when you arrive
Decreased contact with family and friends
More withdrawn, less conversational

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More Information about Eldercare

The above information is an excerpt from the eBook "Caring for an Aging Loved One" produced by MetLife Consumer Education Center. To read the entire eBook, click the eBook title. It's free to download!