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Modest Clothes on the come back
Shade Clothing Plans to Expand Line of Hip, Modest Clothing, Color Options and Retail Locations Shade Clothing looks to use the company's initial success as a springboard for expansion and new growth. American Fork, UT, August 2, 2005--Shade...
Reshape The Family Diet -- Avoid Dinnertime Trouble/Cyndi Thomas, ND
Reshape The Family Diet -- Avoid Dinnertime Trouble by Cyndi Thomas, ND When I announced that my family needed to change its diet somewhat... well, to say my children weren't as excited as me would be an understatement. More than once they...
Should Your Clothes Be Custom Made?
Ready-to-wear apparel is great. You can walk in a store, try it on, and if it fits your body and budget, you can take it home right then. It sure beats the heck out of taking the time to make it yourself or hiring someone to custom-make...
Taking a 2nd Look At Cloth Diapers
If you’re a new parent, you’ve probably heard your grandparents telling you how lucky you are and singing the praises of disposable diapers. Way back then, the only option was cloth diapers, which require a ton of laundry work. See, less than...
Top 10 Items for Successful Breastfeeding
Are you planning to breastfeed your baby but not sure how to start? Perhaps you're already breastfeeding but running into problems. Breastfeeding is well known to be good for baby, so here's a little guide to help you along. I'll list out the...
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Home For The Holidays: Visiting Aging Parents
Joanne returned home after not seeing her parents for about 6 months. She found her dad is not doing nearly as well as he has been leading her to believe. Their weekly conversations were centered on talking about Joanne’s mom who had been ailing. Her dad had kept up the façade that he was taking great care of her and all was well.
She found out differently. The house was a mess and had not been cleaned well in some time and needed quite a bit of maintenance as things were starting to fall apart. Bottles of pills were outdated indicating they hadn’t been taking them as prescribed. The refrigerator was almost empty of nourishing food. She felt guilty, why hadn’t she seen it before, seen it coming, read between the lines?
But the truth is that an elders situation can deteriorate quite quickly: a year, 6 months even 3 months can make a big difference in one’s abilities. Each person and situation and condition is different.
Here’s what to look for if you’re going home to aging parents. This list is based upon the three areas that first indicate a need for more oversight and assistance.
Personal care
- dirty clothing
- dirty hair or body
- appear unkempt
- dust in the bathtub
- home in disrepair or disheveled
Nutrition
- more snacks than real food in the
house
- very old or outdated food items in pantry
Medications
- too many/too few pills in bottles
- old med bottles, no new refills
- still display symptoms that meds should alleviate
Other general areas
- unexplained dents in the car
- not leaving the house for a week or more
- falls
- angry or passive, offensive or defensive
- bills or mail piled up
- utilities or appliances not working
- scorched pans
Most people move to assisted living or nursing homes due to these situations, and not because they are chronically ill and need nursing care. If you see 2 or more of any of these, it is time to discuss the need for a medical check up and possible non-medical assistance to avoid further deterioration. If addressed early enough people may be able to stay in their homes longer and that is what everyone wants.
Linda LaPointe, MRA is an ElderLife Matters Coach and is the author of several products to help families, including the educational board game, In My Shoes: An Aging Family. See them and get free articles and information at www.SOSpueblo.com
sospueblo@yahoo.com
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