It can happen suddenly – a phone call in the middle of the night – or gradually – you begin to notice piled-up bills, dents in the car. However it happens, when a loved one needs help it can change your life.
The first thing to do, of course, is figure out what kind of help your loved one needs. Are there specific disease processes that should be addressed? If your loved one hasn't seen a doctor recently, this would be a good place to start, and you should note that seniors are entitled to a free Welcome to Medicare exam in their first year in Medicare, as well as an annual wellness exam every 12 months thereafter. An annual eye exam and biannual dental checkup are also important when assessing a loved one's health.
A useful list of 10 Warning Signs was produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help older Americans and their families determine if assistance is needed. Any single behavior change may or may not indicate that an action should be taken, but the list provides a good overview.
Now is also the time to confer with all concerned parties – relatives, friends, the loved one – about their sense of what help is needed. Different people will notice different things, and all input is valuable in getting a full picture of the situation. A very useful resource for locating services anywhere in the country is the Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Depression:
Often overlooked is an assessment of mood. Many seniors face depression; however, this is not an inevitable part of the aging process. Sometimes, low mood is really just normal grieving. Old age is a time of loss for many - whether the loss is of a spouse, friends, etc. or a loss of their own mobility or indepenence. This Geriatric Mood Scale can help you assess whether your loved one may benefit from talking to his or her doctor about depression. If left untreated, depression can - and often does - lead to a more rapid decline in physical health.
Assessment Tools: ADLs and IADLs
Below are two types of assessments that are similar to ones you may be given if you visit with a local Agency on Aging or a physician. While these lists are not intended to replace a professional evaluation, you can use these yourself to determine areas in which your loved one may need more assistance. Professionals use standard scales to assess a patient's ability to cope with life's general demands. Activities of Daily Living Scales (ADLs) are basic daily self-care activities. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scales(IADLs) are the basic daily activities needed to live independently in the community. IADL function is usually lost before ADL function. You can get a sense of where your loved one stands by filling out these forms below:
Download PDFs:
ADLs
IADLs
Geriatric Mood Scale
Health Resources