How Do I Know When It Is Time to Get Home Care?

Here are some questions you can ask to help determine if your loved one is ready:

1. If you were to leave the country tomorrow, would my loved one be self -sufficient?

   1. I would say yes, with complete confidence.

   2. I would worry, but my loved one would be fine.

   3. I would have to hire someone to help my loved one a few hours each week.

   4. I would have to arrive for skilled nursing care.

   5. He/she cannot be left alone, so I cannot leave the country.

2. Is my loved one is in control of his/her mental faculties?

   1. He/she has no signs of mental difficulty.

   2. He/she shows a little memory loss from time to time, but nothing serious.

   3. He/she needs assistance with bill paying.

   4. He/she sometimes forgets how to get home.

   5. His/her ability to make decisions is so poor that he/she is a danger to himself or herself.

3. Is my loved one in control of his/her daily physical functioning?

   1. He/she is as active as ever.

   2. He/she needs some help getting out of bed.

   3. He/she has become increasingly dependent on a wheelchair or walker.

   4. He/she needs more monitoring and has lost bladder and or bowel control.

   5. He/she is bedridden.

   6. He/she would not eat properly if alone.

4. Is my loved ones medications under control?

   1. My loved one takes no medications.

   2. My loved one takes only one or two mild medications.

   3. My loved one has always been able to manage his/her medications, but has recently become dizzy and/or confused.

   4. I have to help my loved one keep track of his/her medications.

   5. My loved one has been hospitalized because of drug interactions or over dosing by forgetting to take or making a mistake with medications.

5. Is my loved one sociable and happy?

   1. He/she is very active and happy.

   2. He/she isn’t as active as before because of a recent illness or injury.

   3. He/she doesn’t go out or visit with friends as often since his/her spouse died.

   4. He/she is reluctant to leave the house.

   5. He/she is depressed and house bound.

If you would like more information regarding this or any issue concerning possible home care for yourself or another, please call Golden Rule Home Care at 508-769-6621. We would welcome any question or need for clarification.

Written by Golden Rule Home Care, Inc., of Massachusetts

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