Is Your Dad’s Pride Keeping Him From Asking for Help?
After years of living independently, maybe raising a family, and managing a household, it’s not unusual for a senior to still feel capable of doing it all. Situations change and a sense of pride keep the senior from asking for help. You know he needs help, he says he doesn’t. What happens now?
Your dad may be okay by himself with someone checking in with him a few times a week. Give it a try. Note anything that concerns you or others and at the end of a week, sit down as a family to discuss it. Those issues should become the items you focus on when it comes to what senior care is needed.
Times When Senior Care is Necessary
The general rule on home care services is that they should be used when your dad cannot manage the activities of daily living by himself. These are the vital parts of self-management and care that need to be performed each day.
Some of the important activities of daily living are:
- Staying hydrated
- Eating a balanced diet
- Being able to walk, with or without an assistive device
- Performing grooming tasks such as brushing teeth and hair
- Going to the bathroom alone
- Getting in and out of bed or a chair/sofa independently
- Taking a shower or bath and washing properly
- Remembering to take medications as directed by a doctor or pharmacist
If your dad is struggling with two or more of those daily tasks, he needs help. It’s the right time to call a senior care agency to find out about home care services.
As an example, Lucy lived alone after her husband’s death. She was never the family cook. He did the cooking for them. Without someone cooking her meals, Lucy started ordering takeout pizzas and Chinese. She ate prepared foods that she didn’t have to heat up. Yogurts, deli sandwiches, and deli salads were her staples.
Her doctor became concerned about her weight gain and an increase in cholesterol and blood pressure. She needed someone else to cook her meals. For daily exercise, she needed someone to cheer her on and join her for walks, as her husband had done. Caregivers can do that and many other services.
Don’t let your dad’s pride keep you from arranging senior care services. If he needs help, it’s better to have him be mad for a few days than risk his safety. Call a senior care agency to get started.