13 Signs Your Parent May Be Unsafe Living Alone

As an adult child, it can be hard to admit that your parents may need help. Approved Home Health has identified 13 signs that can help you determine if you are seeing normal, age-related behavior or something more serious.

1. Missed appointments: Missing a doctor’s appointment or forgetting to meet a friend or family member.
2. Maintaining hygiene: Body odor, poor grooming, incontinence and inappropriate dress for the weather.
3. Unopened mail: Watch for unpaid bills or other neglected household duties.
4. Spoiled food: Food left unrefrigerated or kept long after it’s “sell by” date.
5. Poor nutrition: Look for weight loss, loss of appetite or unwillingness to cook for him- or herself.
6. Scorched pans: May indicate the inability to cook safely and could pose a fire hazard.
7. Mystery bruises: Unexplained injuries that could be the result of falling.
8. Car damage: Look for dents and scrapes that cannot be explained or recalled.  Drive with your family member to determine whether he or she is safe behind the wheel.
9. Easily disoriented: Not recognizing familiar spaces, wandering or getting lost in well-known areas can be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
10. Loss of memory: Forgetting something at the store is normal; forgetting something at the store and not remembering that you did when reminded of it can be a sign of memory impairment.
11. Word problems: Inability to recall a common word for something or repeating oneself.
12. Random check-writing: Sending money to unknown “charities” or other unusual expenditures.
13. Perceived threats: Physical aggression toward others or psychotic ideation (“People are coming into my house” or “They are talking about me on TV”).

Approved Home Health can help keep your parent safe in his or her own home. Call us today at 941-870-8740 for a complimentary nursing evaluation.