Home for the Holidays
Karen Moriarty, CEO
The holidays are just around the corner, and for those of us with elderly parents, this is the ideal time each year to take stock of our loved one’s health and wellness needs.
For many families, holiday get-togethers are the only time throughout the year that everyone is in the same place at the same time. Spending quality time together as a family can help us really tune in to what’s going on in the lives of our elderly parents.
You may realize, for instance, that the health issue Mom described on the phone as “nothing, really” is actually something. Family members may have told you that Dad’s balance was getting worse, but you had no idea he was falling on a regular basis. A look in the refrigerator and cupboards reveals Mom hasn’t been eating properly, which may account for why she suddenly seems so frail.
Seniors in the early stages of dementia are often very good at hiding memory issues from their adult children, but the signs often become unmistakable during those long family dinners and celebrations.
Even when it becomes clear to you and your siblings that an elderly parent has reached the point of needing help with day-to-day tasks, it’s not always easy to know what level of assistance they need and how best to provide it. That’s where Carillon can help. Give us a call and let us know what your concerns are. We’ll meet with your family, talk to your parent and assess their health and safety needs, and help you plan for positive next steps on their behalf.
If Mom or Dad isn’t ready for an assisted living community, but could benefit from having assistance at home, we’ll refer you to one of our trusted home health partners. And if you suspect your loved one’s home is not as safe as it could be, we’ll show you some simple steps to take that will help prevent falls and make day-to-day living a little bit easier.
Helping care for an aging parent is never an easy or a simple thing to do. Knowing what to do, and when to do it, is the first step toward making a beneficial change on behalf of your loved one. Check in with your parent this holiday season. Take note of any physical or mental changes that are troubling to you. Talk to your parent and siblings about those changes, and then give Carillon Assisted Living a call. We are here to help — at the holidays, and all year long.
–Karen E. Moriarty, President and CEO
Posted in From the President, Having the Conversation on November 10, 2014