The holiday season is a wonderful time to gather with our families to celebrate and enjoy treasured traditions. For many of us, we live hours or even many states away from our families, so it can sometimes come as a shock to see how much an older family member may have declined since we last visited. You have two choices when noticing a change: stick your head in the sand…OR you can be proactive and go into the holidays aware of red flags that things may be amiss and it’s time to get involved.
RED FLAGS TO LOOK FOR: Changes within their home environment, such as: overgrown yard and dirty home when they had always taken pride in the appearance of their home; expired & moldy food in the refrigerator, unopened mail. Bottoms of cookware scorched, which could indicate they are forgetting food cooking on the stove. Changes in appearance, such as: weight gain or weight loss, neglected hygiene, wearing the same clothes over and over, unexplained bruises or scrapes, loss of balance.
I know it’s difficult to think about our parents or grandparents declining, but once you acknowledge that there is a problem, there are many solutions available to keep them safe and thriving either in their own home or in a senior living community. To receive a complete list of RED FLAGS, plus tips on having difficult conversations, please email: [email protected].
Lori Williams has worked in senior living for 17+ years. She’s the owner of the senior placement service Lori Williams-Senior Services, LLC, which has been voted Best of Denton County for the past 5 years. Lori is also the host of the popular podcast, “Aging in Style.” Contact Lori at 214-783-1222 or visit www.loriwilliams-seniorservices.com.
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