By Alessandra Ramirez, Certified Concierge Care Advisor
As seniors begin to approach a true decline in their level of care, there are signs and symptoms that can be spotted to help address their growing needs. If you are noticing some of the signs and symptoms, it may be time to think about setting up arrangements and care plans to help support the continuing changes your senior may be experiencing, one of which is deciding who will be the primary care giver.
When an individual’s needs begin to increase beyond what they can care for themselves, it is natural for family and friends to step in and help care for the loved one. However, when the care needs exceed what the support team can handle, it’s essential to have one person that helps navigate the care. This one person is often called the primary care giver. Often, it is an adult child or close family member. They help everyone stay on the same page and become the point of contact for the family, Doctors and agencies providing services to the family.
Taking on this role can be very exhausting and emotionally taxing to the individual, but is also an essential element of successful aging. Top responsibilities of the primary care giver include assisting with financial decisions, medical decisions, filling out paperwork on behalf the loved one, supporting them through physical decline, and assisting with activities of daily living: cooking, cleaning, dressing, and bathing (among other activities). As you can imagine, this can be incredibly stressful, especially if you have a full-time life as a grown adult: kids, full-time job, bills, etc. Therefore, careful observation and planning is paramount to the success of your loved ones aging while honoring your personal life.
Here are some signs and symptoms to look to for to help determine if its time to start planning:
- Has food spoiled in the fridge because your loved one cannot get to the grocery store as often or because their appetite has decreased?
- Are they eating convenience food more often because they no longer wish to cook or have the energy to?
- Are they having a more difficult time cleaning up tight/cluttered spaces?
- Have the kitchen and bathroom become increasingly dirty?
- Are they letting the mail pile up?
- Are they becoming more and more forgetful?
Similar signs and symptoms can help you determine if now is the time to consider if you or someone else should begin thinking about who the primary care giver should be and making plans to support their care needs.
Reach out to Concierge Care Advisors today to help you navigate these decisions.