Season’s greetings sometimes greet family members with alarming signs that additional care or daily assistance is needed in the home of aging loved ones. With busy schedules or long distances separating families for much of the year, especially during this year’s pandemic — subtle (or not-so-subtle) indicators that senior care is needed can easily be missed. The aging care experts at Aker Kasten, serving Boca Raton & nearby communities, can help.

Seniors are not always aware of what would be considered by others a compromising health condition, and sometimes the fear of losing independence can make someone want to disguise care needs. Whether you’re meeting over Zoom or safely socially distanced, be a senior’s best advocate this holiday season and evaluate the warning signs that senior care is needed:

A disheveled appearance. Failure to keep up with daily hygiene routines such as bathing, tooth brushing and other basic grooming could indicate health problems such as dementia, depression, or physical impairments. Note if clothes are clean and if the senior appears to be maintaining good grooming habits.

Weight loss. Noticeable weight loss without trying could be a sign that something’s wrong. For the elderly, weight loss could be related to many factors, including:

• Difficulty cooking. The person could be having trouble finding the energy to cook, grasping the tools necessary to prepare a meal, reading labels or directions on food products, or getting groceries into the home.
• Loss of taste or smell. Some loss of taste and smell is natural with aging, especially after age 60. In other cases, illness or medication contributes to the loss of these senses. The person might not be interested in eating if food doesn’t smell or taste as good as it used to.
• Underlying conditions. Sometimes weight loss is a sign of a more serious underlying condition, such as malnutrition, dementia, depression, or even cancer.

Safety issues around the house. If safety is a concern, ask your loved one the following questions:

• Do you have difficulty navigating the stairs?
• Have you fallen recently?
• Are you able to read directions on medication containers?
• Is there adequate lighting for nighttime trips to the bathroom?

After the holidays, if you’ve determined that additional senior care is needed for your loved ones, contact the experts at Aker Kasten, one of the top Boca Raton home health agencies. Our professional caregivers can help ease isolation through friendly companionship and assist with services such as meal preparation, personal care, transportation and specialized dementia care, whether the needs are daily, weekly, temporary or long-term. To help determine if in-home care is appropriate for your situation, or for tips on how to talk to a loved one about accepting in-home care assistance, contact us online or at 561-955-6010 to learn more about our top-rated senior care in Boca Raton and the surrounding communities.