Four Big Red Flags that Your Senior Needs More Help

By Kevin Edwards | September 19, 2018 |

Four Big Red Flags that Your Senior Needs More Help

Elderly Care Prairie Village KS – Four Big Red Flags that Your Senior Needs More Help

By Kevin Edwards, President

You can try guessing when your senior needs more help, or you can ask. The problem is that she may not want to share with you that she’s having difficulty with certain situations. It helps if you know what to look for so that you can learn when to ask more probing questions.

She’s Had Some Close Calls

Close calls can take a lot of different forms for your senior. She might be having trouble driving and that’s leading her into situations where she’s having near misses with accidents. Or she might have almost fallen a time or two. No matter what format those close calls are taking, they’re a big sign that you can’t ignore. If the close calls are happening while driving, the car might have some damage. Otherwise, your elderly family member herself might have some minor injuries.

She’s Not Recovering from Setbacks as Quickly as She Did

Slow recovery is something that can plague your senior more, too. Whether that recovery is from minor illnesses like a cold or procedures that she has handled easily in the past, a slower recovery is physically trying as well as emotionally trying. Your elderly family member might isolate herself or seem to give up more easily. Because her mental and her physical health are so entwined, it’s important to watch for signs that she’s not coping well.

Worsening Health Issues Are Taking a Toll

Chronic health issues already take a toll on your elderly family member, but when they start to become worse, that’s an even bigger concern. Some progressive health issues, like COPD, aren’t situations in which your senior can get a little worse and then better again. When those types of health issues worsen, it’s permanent.

She’s Having Trouble with Regular Daily Tasks

Activities of daily living are the same activities that help your senior to remain independent. They’re deceptively simple activities, like keeping up with laundry and household chores as well as personal care tasks. Your elderly family member might not mention that she’s having issues with these sorts of activities, but you can start to notice changes to how she and her home look.

If you’re not even sure whether your senior does need help or not, you might still want to hire elderly care providers. They can help you to work out exactly what your senior and you need and they can help you to make that happen.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elderly Care Services in the Prairie Village KS area, please contact the caring staff at Elder Care of Kansas City, today. Proudly serving Jackson, Clay, Platte and Cass Counties in Missouri as well as Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas for over 30 years. Call us at 816-333-3322.

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Kevin Edwards

Owner at Elder Care of Kansas City

Kevin’s life and the lives of his immediate family have been impacted by caregivers – either as a patient or a caregiver - for as long as he can remember.He watched his mother take care of his grandmother until her death at the age of 97.Five years later, his father passed from a neurological disorder that was subsequently confirmed as Lewy Body Dementia.In 2007, his wife, Lori, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.The symptoms of Lori’s disease required Kevin to hire a caregiver during the periods of her relapses.

Prior to purchasing Elder Care, Kevin spent over 20 years in the health insurance industry.In his most recent position, he was in a financial operations role with Humana where he worked with doctors, nurses and other health professionals developing programs to keep Humana members healthy.Their focus on primary care and medication adherence improved the lives of thousands of seniors in Kansas City and the surrounding area.

Kevin and his wife, Lori, have three children.Kevin has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri.